Dr. Maya Angelou, she dies at age 86.

Dr. Maya Angelou passed away at her home today in the morning. People from all over the world mourning of her loss. The great legend of African- American literature that she had build up among other scholars like Toni Morrison, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, and many others. She had many talents to share with us throughout  her literature. She portrayed all the hostilities of the era of darkness against the  colored women, the segregation in America south  through the years. She expressed as an African- American womanhood  in her art pieces like “I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings,”. In 1930s, 40s through 70s in America south, there were prevailing of racism, brutalities to the African- American in general in public places and colored women were mistreated. They were raped by the closed family members or intruders in the society .  She wrote poems and essays of awareness of human right movement to the public and fight against the cruel society with her pen for her people and others who are in the hostile circumstances as a human being.  She awarded honorary doctor degree more than 50 universities from all over the world. She was a professor of American studies in Wake Forest University since 1982. She was a poet, writer, actress, film maker, the first female cable car conductor, civil right movement activist and etceteras. She showed us how powerlessness of human being in physical way has transformed to gain the most strong will power when their rages are fully loaded.

She loved dance and music. She was the heroine of people who were under the horrid conditions to seek hopes and dreams come true as their own.

She is the true leader from the generation to generation and educated people who need to know the real history of America, where true soul has come from and to.

below interview with Maya Angelou, i took the source from the website at

http://toryjeng3.edublogs.org/2010/04/14/maya-angelou-influenced-so-many-but-who-influenced-her/

Maya Angelou influenced a lots of people and who influenced Maya Angelou?

According to Maya herself,

“During these years [age three – age thirteen] in Stamps, I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare. He was my first love. Although I enjoyed and respected Kipling, Poe, Butler, Thackery and Henley, I saved my young and loyal passion for Paul Lawrence, Dunbar, Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson and W.E.B. DuBois’ ‘Litany at Atlanta’. But it was Shakespeare who said, “When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes.” It was a state with which I felt myself most familiar.”

http://www.fablevision.com/northstar/favorite/mangelou.html

Not only was Maya inspired by Literary Greats such As Shakespeare, but also by the strong minded people in her own life, from a teacher,

At the age of eight Maya Angelou retreated into a world of silence… the result of a traumatic experience that occurred while living with her mother for a short time in St. Louis. After returning to live with her grandmother in Stamps, a neighbor, Mrs. Flowers, befriended Maya. “I was liked, and what a difference it made. I was respected not as Mrs. Henderson’s grandchild or Bailey’s sister but for just being Marguerites Johnson…”

http://www.fablevision.com/northstar/favorite/mangelou.html

To her own Brother, Bailey, who helped her discover her faith:

“Bailey was the greatest person in my world. And the fact that he was my brother, my only brother, and I had no sisters to share him with, was such a good fortune that it made me want to live a Christian life just to show God that I was grateful.”

http://www.fablevision.com/northstar/favorite/mangelou.html

Maya words the way these individuals have affected her and her work very eloquently stating that,

“I’m so amazed, and it is so true, that each of us has a rainbow – some have four or five. This is what men and women who are convinced that they are in unity with themselves and the God that made us are. This is who we are when we are at our best – we are RAINBOWS.”

This got my thinking whole heartedly about who my “rainbows” have been.

The great poet is now rest in peace and we will all remember her name.