Maya Angelou gave literary and political voice to African American women

Many youth and students from successive generations were influenced by the widely-read book of Maya Angelou entitled ‘I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings’. The autobiographical work addressed the earlier and formative years of the author who passed away on May 28 2014 at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina at the age of 86.

Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and would later live in Stamps, Arkansas, where she experienced and closely observed the system of racial segregation so prevalent in the United States during this period. She would study dance and drama at the San Francisco Labor School.

At 14 she dropped out of school to become the first African American woman cable car conductor. Angelou would continue her study of dance and the arts eventually landing a position in the Porgy and Bess musical that toured the Eastern European countries during the 1950s when they were under socialism allied with the Soviet Union.

According to an official biographical website, ‘She studied modern dance with Martha Graham, danced with Alvin Ailey on television variety shows and, in 1957, recorded her first album, ‘Calypso Lady’. In 1958, she moved to New York, where she joined the Harlem Writers Guild, acted in the historic off-Broadway production of Jean Genet's ‘The Blacks’ and wrote and performed Cabaret for Freedom.’ (mayaangelou.com)

While living and working abroad in the 1950s, Angelou read and studied systematically, learning French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and the West African language Fanti. These experiences were chronicled through her autobiographical works and poetry.

In 1960 she moved to Cairo, Egypt and served as the editor of the Arab Observer. At this time Egypt was under the leadership of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, a co-founder of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1961, when the country was a center of anti-colonial movements opposed to imperialism and zionism.

Later she would settle in the West African state of Ghana in 1961, formerly the Gold Coast, where Dr. Kwame Nkrumah led the former British colony from imperial domination to national independence between 1947 and 1957. Angelou was one of hundreds of expatriates known as the ‘Afro-American community’ of the newly-independent state.

During her time in Ghana she worked as a teacher at the University of Ghana in the School of Music and Drama. She also served as a feature editor of the ‘African Review’ journal initiated by African American writer and activist Julian Mayfield.

In addition Angelou would write articles for Ghanaian Times, a newspaper in support of the Nkrumah government. Nkrumah and the CPP were later overthrown in a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and State Department engineered coup on Feb. 24, 1966.

One highlight of Angelou’s tenure in West Africa was that she would meet with Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik Shabazz) when he visited Ghana twice in 1964. Ghana, under the Convention People’s Party founded by Nkrumah was the citadel of the Pan-African and socialist movements taking place in Africa and throughout the Diaspora.

The first chapter of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), founded by Malcolm X in 1964, was formed in Ghana among the expatriate community. Angelou’s return to the U.S. coincided with the assassination of Malcolm X in Feb. 1965 in New York City.

Later she was asked by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to assist in the organization of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in the northern states. King launched efforts in Chicago in 1966 to expand the Civil Rights Movement to urban areas in the North.

A PROFOUND LITERARY AND FILM LEGACY

Angelou was encouraged after returning to the U.S. to put her experiences throughout life down on paper. In 1970 she published ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ which gained international notoriety. Her subsequent autobiographical books related her personal developments within the broader context of historical and social trends between the Great Depression of the 1930s right through the mass upsurge of the African American people beginning in the 1950s and continuing throughout the 20th century.

She was also highly recognized as a poet. Her work entitled ‘Still I Rise’ is an inspiring piece in which she celebrates the courage of the human spirit over the harshest of personal and social obstacles. The poem is a testament to the power that exists within all human beings to rise above the most challenging of circumstances.

Angelou as a result of her literary work was awarded an estimated fifty honorary degrees from various universities. At the time of her transition she was a Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

In addition to her work in poetry, dance and the theater, she was involved as a writer and actor in numerous films both featured and documentary. These works included ‘The Black Candle’ directed by M.K. Asante and narrated by Angelou.

With original poetry and narration by Dr. Angelou, ‘The Black Candle’ is an award-winning documentary that uses Kwanza as a vehicle to celebrate the African-American experience. Also ‘Down in the Delta’ was directed by her where she brings together an outstanding cast of stars in an inspiring story involving family life, community affairs, and personal friendships.

In the 1990s she provided prose in ‘Poetic Justice’ that was directed by John Singleton. The film featured Tupac Shakur and Janet Jackson as the stars.

Directed by Fielder Cook, her first autobiographical work ‘I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings’ was turned into a film. Diahann Carroll, Esther Rolle, and Ruby Dee starred in this feature-length story.

Angelou has been eulogized by numerous newspapers and websites. A memorial service was scheduled for Saturday May 7 at Wake Forest University.

Her family and colleagues are preparing for additional commemorations to be held around the U.S. Angelou’s contributions to literature and social movements will remain as an inspiration to today’s youth as well as future generations.

* Abayomi Azikiwe is Editor, Pan-African News Wire

* THE VIEWS OF THE ABOVE ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR/S AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PAMBAZUKA NEWS EDITORIAL TEAM
* BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS
* Please do not take Pambazuka for granted! Become a Friend of Pambazuka and make a donation NOW to help keep Pambazuka FREE and INDEPENDENT!
* Please send comments to editor[at]pambazuka[dot]org or comment online at Pambazuka News.