While thinking about Black History Month, I immediately thought of one particular Black woman who has powerfully influenced me. American poet and activist Maya Angelou (1928-2014) enjoyed a prolific career, authoring autobiographies, essays, and poems for which she earned numerous literary awards and honorary degrees.
But, what really sticks with me from this gifted writer, is the way she transformed the traumas of her youth. Raised in Mississippi by her grandmother, Maya Angelou endured separation from her parents, a brutal rape as a child, poverty, and the soul-crushing blight of unapologetic racism. In spite of these hardships, she grew up to be a cultural leader and an icon, sharing her wisdom with love and compassion.
Oprah Winfrey said of her:
"She understood that sharing her truth connected her to the greater human truths of longing, abandonment, security, hope, wonder, prejudice, mystery and finally self discovery: the realization of who you really are and the liberation that love brings."
She explores these themes extensively in her first autobiographical novel, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Her strength and confidence resonate in so many of her works—like her poem, Phenomenal Woman:
"…A hive of honey bees. I say, It's the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me…"
Studying Black history allows us to learn the skills of survivors, leaders, and transformers. The wickedness of racism must be stamped out. But, until the day comes when we live in a truly just society, we owe it to ourselves, our countries, and most of all, to our Black brothers and sisters, to take the time to keep learning.
Like the inspirational Maya Angelou and so many Black Americans like her, may we all learn to transform despair into joy. May we live victorious lives with uncommon valor and gratitude.
Happy Black History Month!