Maya Angelou. Born, April 4, 1928 and died May 28, 2014. She lived through the worse of slavery in the US and died probably the most celebrated African American female of our time. She wrote 7 autobiographies, 3 books of essays and several books on poetry. She has received dozens of awards, over 50 honourary degrees and has been credited with a Pulitzer, a Tony and 3 Grammys. When she was a young child her parents divorced. She and her brother were sent to live with her grandmother for a time. When she returned to live with her mother; her stepfather raped her. She told her brother and he told the family. The man was incarcerated for ONE DAY. Upon his release he was murdered. It is suspected, but not proven, that it was by one of her Uncles. Maya became mute for 5 years believing that having spoken up caused his death. I'm just so thrilled that she DID find her voice. In her books and lectures she speaks about feminism, racism, gender, abuse and relationships. She refuses to hide in shame. She admits mistakes she has made in her life and tells us all to be more open about our mistakes so that young people learn how to be accountable without shame.
If you want to be inspired and are having a hard day, google image Maya Angelou quotes. She is too big a person and has too much to say for me to do justice to her as a blog post. However, if you are feeling mute, or you have made mistakes that you regret, or you feel alone and that no one would understand or has had to pull themselves up from that place; read her book " I know why the Caged Bird Sings". It is being used by educators and psychologists as an example of resilience in childhood and the impact of abuse on development and identity formation.
If you want to be inspired and are having a hard day, google image Maya Angelou quotes. She is too big a person and has too much to say for me to do justice to her as a blog post. However, if you are feeling mute, or you have made mistakes that you regret, or you feel alone and that no one would understand or has had to pull themselves up from that place; read her book " I know why the Caged Bird Sings". It is being used by educators and psychologists as an example of resilience in childhood and the impact of abuse on development and identity formation.
And this quote speaks to her understanding of mindfulness before it was a 'thing'. Healing is a courageous act of courage that moves against what is happening inside of you and in mainstream society.
But if she can rise up out of what she has experienced then it is evidence that we all can too.
Wednesday would have been her 90th birthday. (As well as Martin Luther King Jr's so I will blog about him next week.) Check out this Google play of her poem and you will get a sense of her.
https://g.co/doodle/uvxkpn?ds=em
And, hopefully, be inspired!
But if she can rise up out of what she has experienced then it is evidence that we all can too.
Wednesday would have been her 90th birthday. (As well as Martin Luther King Jr's so I will blog about him next week.) Check out this Google play of her poem and you will get a sense of her.
https://g.co/doodle/uvxkpn?ds=em
And, hopefully, be inspired!
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