Our journey takes us back—along the path through America’s history that sadly includes over two centuries of slave labor imported from Africa. Our journey takes us south—toward the Caribbean. Our journey takes us towards Jim Crow[1] times, when a People was treated with intentional cruelty and equally tragic neglect. These were the times in which Maya Angelou grew up. This was the path down the mighty river where times once grew much harder for humans who were sold as property.
Maya Angelou[2] grew up in St. Louis (south from Chicago) and Stamps, Arkansas (south from St. Louis). Born in 1928, she enjoyed a few good years in Stamps, Arkansas where she lived as a small child with her grandmother[3]. Her grandmother’s smart business sense enabled them to weather the worst of the Great Depression[4]. She ran her store well and her customers needed her wares. Oh, but for the winds of fate! Maya’s parents were divorced and they did not get along. Why, then, did her father take Maya at age 7 from this security and move her back to St. Louis to reside with her mother, his ex-wife? Shortly after that event, Maya was cruelly victimized and the tragedy traumatized her so badly that her mind coped by retreating for five-years into a world without speech, without song. She said not a word for she feared that her voice would bring greater calamity—her voice, the innocent voice of a little girl!
Ms. Angelou credits a family friend and teacher with helping speech and confidence to return. The teacher’s influence seems greater than merely bringing back the child’s voice, for young Maya found great fulfillment in reading and writing. But the future best-selling author did not experience a future filled immediately with laurels and loud applause. Hard times found the young woman again, and hard times teach their own lessons about survival.
At President Bill Clinton’s inauguration (1/20/93), Ms. Angelou thrilled us with a reading of her epic poem. With total mastery of her craft, she shared a mighty vision for all people in all places and conditions across this broad land America—on this fine day, we are living, we are renewed . . . and we are not afraid!
One of Maya’s literary heroes was a famous long-dead man named William Shakespeare. The Bard must surely be pleased with the voice that he inspired—the beautiful song of a once caged bird, now free!
Now, here is a quiz for you. Why does “the caged bird” sing? Please send your thoughts to Tim@Bentari.com. Thank you!
Image: my copy of On the Pulse of Morning
[1] See: http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0826301.html
[2] See: http://mayaangelou.com/bio/
[3] See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou
[4] See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression