Celebrating Maya Angelou
My earliest memory of Maya Angelou is Phenomenal Woman. I don’t know how old I was or where I was but I just remember reading the poem in what was either a classroom setting or library setting. I was with other children and we were taking turns reading different lines, instructed to be sassy. I didn’t fully grasp the gravity of the significance of the poem or even Maya Angelou but I do remember thinking, “Wow, if this is what being a woman is all about, I can’t wait!” That’s when I got sucked into Maya Angelou’s gravitational pull. She was an actress, writer, poet, activist, singer, dancer, and even a madam at one point (original sophistiratchet lol)–everything (sans the brothel phase) that a theater kid like me wanted to be.
She was one of many inspirations for me to consider writing. I’ve strayed from being creative in general but I have so many ideas that I haven’t typed out yet so i’d like to find that in myself again.
Not many celebrity deaths impact me but losing Maya Angelou stings. I fear that we, her succeeding generation, have failed her with our art and activism. Visionaries like Maya Angelou don’t come around often but we should always strive to be as close as possible in our own respective ways. That is the lesson I’m reminded of in her passing.
Thanks Maya Angelou, for being amazing.
Category: Pop Culture, Reflections
About the Author (Author Profile)
Starrene Rhett Rocque is a recovering journalist who often fantasizes about becoming a shotgun-toting B-movie heroine.Subscribe
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“Visionaries like Maya Angelou don’t come around often but we should
always strive to be as close as possible in our own respective ways.
That is the lesson I’m reminded of in her passing.” – I couldn’t agree more!