Maya Angelou: A Bird Uncaged
You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
As an African-American spokesperson against ongoing racial injustices and discrimination, Maya Angelou was, is and will always remain, an inspiration. The poet, author and activist was infamously accredited for her pioneering autobiography, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,’ and its resounding impact with the American Civils Rights movement and the British Educational System. Not only was she motivated by her own personal obstacles, but Angelou also built on the prejudices against the greater African-American community, urging her readers to remain optimistic during harder times and endure.
Born in Missouri in 1928, Angelou walked her life dwarfed by the immensity of her surroundings. In a society where she was abandoned by her mother, abused as a child, and lived in extreme poverty, her voice was forcefully silenced. The abuses she witnessed could not be spoken, and so she picked up her grandmother’s pen and wrote instead. Her autobiography poses the brutality of society, portraying her grandmother, mother and brother as strong individuals who fought against it. With traumatic stories of her adolescence within a social stratum based on race, the piece evokes pathos to expose the nature of segregation. Through her experiences, Angelou was taught resilience, perseverance, and the patience of hope.
In the book, she metaphorically entails a free bird basking in the sun, compared to a bird caged. The caged bird’s feet and wings clipped through bars. With no resort, the bird opens its throat and sings, hoping for death as an escape. Angelou’s Writing serves as a voice for the voiceless, amplifying the silent narratives and unspoken struggles of the marginalized. One of her most famous quotes from the book is, “What you looking at me for? I didn’t come to stay...” This single line sets the tone of the entire book, conveying a glimpse into the lives of African Americans and their sagging expectations of society. Her words speak volumes, encapsulating themes of impermanence, resilience, and the struggle for identity and belonging that characterized the lives of African Americans during challenging periods in history, coercing an indelible impact for future generations.
Maya Angelou published fourteen poem collections, seven books, and several plays over the course of her life. Her works delve into the freedom that all, humans deserve, and her footsteps lead others. Along with Martin Luther King Jr’s and Malcolm X’s efforts, the multiplicity of race was finally coming closer to acceptance. In 1993, she performed a poetry piece called the “Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration. When she spoke, every single person to hear was left blinking, their smiles pursed in recognition. Her ability to unite everyone through experience echoed her message of equality. As a social activist and author, she linked societal issues with familiar poetic narratives, resonating with multitudes because people not only heard but listened.
Despite her passing in 2014, every page of her books is dog-eared, forcing the reader to reopen it and remember. Again, and again, we will be reminded of the past and will forge new opinions. Taking inspiration from Maya Angelou and her dedication, we will continue to carve and shape the footprints we create on the sands of our world ourselves preserving their stories with the languages of our souls and the ink of our minds. As a book and its worth remain unaffected by the colours of its words, our world remains unaffected by the colours of its people.
My name is Reet, and I am an avid historical literature reader. I love describing the world around me through my eyes, and I hope to one day pursue journalism and blend my love of photography and writing!