Blog #2: Maya Angelou: An icon, inspiration, and a legend

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 In light of February, Black History Month, I wanted to step away from a run-of-the-mill book review or recipe and discuss something more significant. Throughout history, suffering has been seen as a part of the human experience. Still, black people, especially black women, have endured ongoing prejudice, discrimination, violence, and hardship throughout their lives for centuries. In 2020, the American Psychology Association wrote that "35% of black women will experience some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime" and "Black women were more than 2 times more likely to be murdered by men than their white counterparts."(Jameta Barlow 2020) Despite the hardship they face, I admire their contributions to society and their remarkable strength. The one specific icon I would like to put the spotlight on is Maya Angelou.

  Although she would go on to be an influential author, poet, dancer, and actress, among many other things, her beginnings were humble and, at times, devastating. When her two parents split when she was young, she and her brother Bailey lived with her paternal Grandmother. While on a visit to see her mother when she was eight years old, her mother's boyfriend ruthlessly sexually assaulted her and threatened her and her brother's life if she didn't obey him. He was caught and put on trial, and after she testified, her uncles beat her rapist to death. On the contrary to feeling relieved that the person who hurt her couldn't hurt anyone else, the guilt of feeling like his brutal death was her fault caused her to become mute for five and a half years. It was her pain that forced her into silence, but reading poetry through the guidance of her teacher and the love and strength her grandmother gave her inspired the future genius to find her voice once more. Surprise came and bit her on the leg when she was sixteen years old after a romantic embrace with a neighbor boy: she was pregnant with a baby boy. To support this baby, she worked more than three jobs, including becoming the first black female railcar conductor, even going as far as to dabble in entertainment in night clubs, and being a Madame to support her son. But what is the point of all of this? Well, not only is she the author of one of my favorite poems of all time, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," which James Baldwin convinced her to write after coping with the devastation of losing MLK, but she was in my opinion, the definition of resilience, and triumph after heartache. She would go on to tour in 22 countries, in the productions she acted in, and became an editor for "African Review" in Acra and associate editor for "Arab Supporter." Not only was she a writer, and actress, but an influential activist in close ties with Malcolm X and Doctor Martin Luther King Jr., so much so with the latter that he even asked her to be assistant administrator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She never went to college but still taught and inspired others at Universities, and ultimately, inspired the world with her brilliance. Although she is on another plane in this beautiful universe, she is an inspiration and forever changed the world thanks to her.

 Works Cited

 "Angelou, Maya." UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, edited by Laura B. Tyle, vol. 1, UXL, 2003, pp. 73-76. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3437500037/GVRL?u=mcc_glendale&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=51bc39c6. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025. Barlow, Jameta PhD MPH, "Black Women the Forgotten Survivors of Sexual Assault," American Psychology Association, February 1st 2020,https://www.apa.org/topics/sexual-assault-harassment/black-women-sexual-violence Hayawi, Mayy El. "Angelou, Maya (1928–2014)." Women Who Changed the World: Their Lives, Challenges, and Accomplishments through History, edited by Candice Goucher, vol. 1, ABC-CLIO, 2022, pp. 65-74. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX8327300022/GVRL?u=mcc_glendale&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=5c8dadb0. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.