

Maya Angelou Dies at 86 - tieistoowhite
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/arts/maya-angelou-lyrical-witness-of-the-jim-crow-south-dies-at-86.html

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silverbax88
I was fortunate enough to have Maya living within a couple of miles of me, and
was able to meet her a couple of times. I admired her, and she was an
inspiration to me. Her words and actions resonated with me, and I always felt
she had veracity of emotion that I could only aspire to.

I too, know why the caged bird sings, but I learned it from you, Maya.

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goatforce5
Here's a recent 14 minute interview she did. As ever, she speaks beautifully
and is engaging to watch:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1T9CEjjRzE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1T9CEjjRzE)

In the video she mentions having "already been paid for" (paraphrasing - don't
have time to rewatch video at the moment). She uses a similar phrase in her
Clinton poem and other interviews.

As I understand it, it's her concept that all the people who went before you
to make your life better (moving countries to seek a better life, fighting
slavery, fighting wars, getting the right to vote or whatever) paid a price
long ago to make your life better. The only way to pay that debt back is to
make life better for those yet to come.

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js2
Lovely interview. Asked about her frailty: "What I really want to do is be a
representative of my race, of the human race. I have a chance to show how kind
we can be. How intelligent and generous we can be. I have a chance to teach
and to love and to laugh and I know that when I finish doing what I was sent
here to do, I will be called home. And I will go home without any fear [or]
trepidations."

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goatforce5
I think she says "trepidation... some. Wondering what's going to happen..."
She sort of changed thought midstream.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1T9CEjjRzE#t=11m53s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1T9CEjjRzE#t=11m53s)

I liked her incredulity when asked how she resolved her religious beliefs and
views on homosexuality:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1T9CEjjRzE#t=9m53s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1T9CEjjRzE#t=9m53s)

...but just go watch the whole thing.

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packetslave

      You may write me down in history
      With your bitter, twisted lies,
      You may tread me in the very dirt
      But still, like dust, I'll rise.

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jonahx
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what
you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

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akilism
RIP

"I have a certain way of being in this world, and I shall not, I shall not be
moved."

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akavi
>(pronounced AHN-zhe-lo)

/ˈæn.dʒə.loʊ/ in IPA, if that confused anyone else. (I misinterpreted it as
representing /ˈɑːn.ʒə.loʊ/.)

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freehunter
That's interesting. I learned the pronunciation from The Simpsons episode,
where they apparently pronounced it wrong (I know it wasn't actually Maya who
did the voice).

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aniijbod
How many of us deserve to be described as consistently: 1\. beautifully
spoken? 2\. profound in thought? 3\. joyful in outlook? and yet despite
possessing these outstanding qualities, never allowing those who do not seem
to, to feel anything but encouraged to try to follow her example.

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calebm
She is no longer a caged bird.

It's really odd timing: I had never heard of Maya until yesterday, when I
discovered her beautiful poetry. I even looked her up on Wikipedia to she if
she was still alive...

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rrrx3
She was a real inspiration to so many. A brilliant person that will be sorely
missed.

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Duhveed
I saw her speak once in college. She was a brilliant and engaging speaker.

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davidtanner
She was an amazing woman.

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CoachRufus87
RIP

