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# Maya Angelou; Beloved Poet and Global Renaissance Woman
July 04 2024
Written by Judy Joy Jones.
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Maya Angelou: the beloved poet and best-selling author, continues to captivate readers through the sheer beauty of her lyrics and words.
Ms. Angelou was a guest on a radio talk show I was briefly involved with that had over one million listens to the show with Maya.
Her office was overwhelmed with guest appearance requests, and it took over six months to book her on the show. The many listeners including myself, are forever grateful Ms. Angelou was their special guest.
Maya's popularity continues to grow as she is known and loved by all age groups. Recently I found out she was San Francisco's first female cable car driver!
Oprah Winfrey was extremely close with Maya; describing her as a mentor, mother, sister and friend and said Maya Angelou's books helped her personally process sexual abuse by giving words to her own pain.
Her work and life offer a personal journey of many African Americans of the 20th century. Malcolm X, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and James Baldwin were some of Mayas friends.
Racism, rape, and her pregnancy at age sixteen, were subjects many readers could relate too as they were hungry for literature by authors that talked about the realities of growing up black in America.
Ms. Angelou also spoke to women of all colors who had lived with the trauma of having been raped or assaulted.
Oprah Winfrey's Tribute to Maya Angelou;
*"Next time you receive change from a cashier, take a look at the palm of your hand: There's a chance Maya Angelou will be staring back at you on a quarter. This marks the first time a Black woman has appeared on one. What a beautiful moment. Maya, look at what you did!"....Oprah Winfrey*
Ms. Angelou was truly a "Global Renaissance Woman" whose books are read by millions all over the earth.
Thank-You Maya Angelou. The world continues to share your wonderful wisdom with our future generations!
..........................................
Maya Angelou
we love you
your books
we will pass on
to our children
and their families
thank-you for
sharing your life
with us
Maya Angelou
we love you
judy jones
*(Judy Joy Jones is an author, actress, artist, photographer, poet, and librettist. Her acting credits include appearances on the Discovery Channel plus in such movies and TV programs as Dreaming of the Dead, Dora the Explorer, Trauma, and The Walking Dead. Judy’s upcoming book When a Saint Calls, Surrender! promises to be inspirational, for it concerns her work with Mother Teresa. This article was published in Street Spirit Newspaper. Judy is a regular contributor to CityWatch)*
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