As a part of Black History Month, I wanted to dedicate my blog post to African American women and their contributions to art and literature, and share some of their literature with you.
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou (Marguerite Annie Johnson, also referred to as Dr. Maya Angelou) was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She has contributed a lot of books and poetry that contribute to the themes of racial, economic, and sexual oppression. One of the most acclaimed books from Maya Angelou is “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” which is an autobiography of her life, talking about her struggles and experiences (it is heart-trending and inspiring). In the end, Maya Angelou learns that “her kindness, love, strong spirit, and ideas of great authors, will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned. “
Here is one of her poems called ‘Caged Bird’:
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
Amanda Gorman
You may have heard of Amanda Gorman before, she is an American poet and activist. She was the first person to be named National Youth Poet Laureate and had also recited at Biden’s inauguration ceremony earlier this year. You may not believe it, but Amanda Gorman had a speech impediment as a child but learned to overcome it, to bring her where to where she is today to become such a confident public speaker, and recite & write poems in such a beautiful manner. We can definitely look forward to more publications by Amanda Gorman in the future.
Here is an excerpt of “The Hill We Climb,” you can read the full version here.
Alice Walker
Alice Walker is an American writer, poet, and activist. She has published many literature pieces that are very prominent and famous today. In fact, she is the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, for one of her most famous publications, “The Colour Purple.” The Colour Purple is a book that depicts the lives of African American women in the early twentieth century and “broke the silence around domestic and sexual abuse, narrating the lives of women through their pain and struggle, companionship and growth, resilience and bravery. ”
Here is one of her poems called “To Change the World Enough”:
To change the world enough
you must cease to be afraid
of the poor.
We experience your fear as the least pardonable of
humiliations; in the past
it has sent us scurrying off
daunted and ashamed
into the shadows.
Now,
the world ending
the only one all of us have known
we seek the same
fresh light
you do:
the same high place
and ample table.
The poor always believe
there is room enough
for all of us;
the very rich never seem to have heard
of this.
In us there is wisdom of how to share
loaves and fishes
however few;
we do this everyday.
Learn from us,
we ask you.
We enter now
the dreaded location
of Earth’s reckoning;
no longer far
off
or hidden in books
that claim to disclose
revelations;
it is here.
We must walk together without fear.
There is no path without us.
This is by no means, a comprehensive list of all the Black Women in Literature, and there are so many more writers that can be mentioned. Nevertheless, it celebrates how much of an important contribution Black Women have made in Literature, and will continue to do so.
