Maya Angelou

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In this world there are but several hundred names, that when spoken, seldom few would not be able to call to mind who those people were, what became, what they did. At first consideration, several hundred appears to be a quantity of plentiful proportions. Though, when put into the perspective the number seems to shrink not in numerical value but in significance. An estimated 106 billion people have been brought onto the earth since the human race was born itself (Haub 4). Suddenly, several hundred seems so small, so inconsiderable in comparison. What could these select few do to impact the world around them that their names should be remembered, held above and esteemed as greater still than the other billions of wonderfully unique beings? For some, their titles were carved into the raw flesh of mankind’s hatred and immortalized history’s unforgiving memory by blood. A group of uncountable amounts are remembered for acts of foolishness, misguided emotions, imbecility, or decisions made in haste. Then, there is the class who will never be forgotten or seen by those who have their hearts, minds, eyes and souls open with malice or scorn. This sect of immortal names strove for the future to be bathed in light, in love, in hope and understanding. Amongst the ranks of the latter faction a woman of color stands, tall and proud yet humble despite or perhaps in commemoration of her age. Her name is Maya Angelou.
On the fourth day of the fourth month, under the sign of the ram in 1928, an infant girl was born. She was given the name Marguerite Ann Johnson and under this name she would travel the world acquire skills and nurture talents that would one day earn her the reputation of being a renaissance woman of global renown (Maya 1). In contr...

... middle of paper ...

...rinted in magazine articles or newspaper periodicals they were pronounced in an intangible form far greater than ink could proclaim in the eyes of a brother in love for his sister, whose bonds were forged over the years rather than made from birth by relation.

Works Cited

"Andrew Young Hailed in Honor of 75th Birthday." Msnbc.com. NBCnews.com, 07 May 2008. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. .
Haub, Carl. "How Many People Have Ever Lived on Earth?" Prb.org. Population Reference Bureau, Nov.-Dec. 2002. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
"Maya Angelou - Biography." Maya Angelou - Biography. Dr. Maya Angelou, The Official Website, n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013. .
"Maya Angelou." The Poetry Foundation. Poetryfoundation.org, 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. .

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