On the eve of Juneteenth, I couldn’t help but to remember Dr. Maya Angelou. The world lost a magnanimous and inspirational poet and writer six years ago. The impact of her loss is still felt today. Maya Angelou was a great source of inspiration to me and many others around the world. As a young teen, I was often called upon to provide short speeches or asked to write poems for local and regional church events. I was probably around 11 or 12 when I recited my first poem of Dr. Angelou’s. It was called “Phenomenal Woman.” I remember one person used to refer to me as a little Maya Angelou. it’s real funny to even think about now! Hahha! Little did she know that I would go on to actually meet the late great Maya Angelou.
Her work became my favorite literature to read growing up and I often found myself indulging in her essays and autobiographies. She was a stoic, well-spoken and inspirational poet and author but she had endured so much in her lifetime and you would’ve never known it if you hadn’t read about it. And that’s what interested me the most about her. Maya Angelou’s life and lived experiences.
I wrote her while she was alive and I was so ecstatic when she would actually write back! Though these moments were brief, it was still the best feeling to hear from a person that you highly respect.
Though Maya Angelou is a treasure that the world will never be able to get back, she will always be memorialized through her works that she left here with us.
On this Juneteenth holiday, I can’t help but to remember the role that Maya Angelou played during the civil rights era. The essence of Maya Angelou was able to transmit to all circles. She could be a friend of Oprah or Bill Clinton and she could also be a friend of people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X.
As a coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Maya Angelou was instrumental in helping to raise funds for the civil rights movement, most notably with her Cabaret for Freedom show. With the funds that were raised from the show, she was able to promote the mission of the SCLC who organized protests, non-violent demonstrations and voter registration drives.
I met Maya in 2011 at a book release event for her cookbook, Great Food All Day Long Cook Spendidly, Eat Smart, here in the city. I never believed that I would actually have a face to face conversation with my literary inspiration. I remember the day fairly well. It was a cold day in February of 2011; at a point in time that was during the last stage of her life and though she was noticeably feeble than her former years, at the same time, she exuded such great inner strength. I will never forget the advice she gave to me back then as a young writer. It was an eye-opening moment. And I’d like to think that It’s always an aha moment with Maya whether you are in front of her or not because she was a woman who exuded so much wisdom.
She was an unforgettable woman, a woman of grace and a woman of superior strength. On this Juneteenth holiday, I remember and honor Dr. Maya Angelou, a great African American ancestor.
I’m still taking your advice Dr. Angelou and I will never forget the impact that you’ve had on the fabric of American culture as well as the impact that your presence had on the world.
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