MarQuia-Diane Ray
Atlanta, GA
Birmingham-Southern College 2006
MarQuia-Diane Ray
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As her venerable frame approached the podium, a thunderous applause
filled the concert hall at Morehouse College in Atlanta. On January 11,
2007, Dr Maya Angelou spoke at the Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration
Concert, to honor the birthday of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Angelou captivated our attention as we anticipated her delivery of
wisdom. She told us a story--of a people displaced, taken advantage of,
marginalized, a people who were in search of a new beginning and who
lived in the hope of a brighter tomorrow. She said the story of the
American is the story of the Irish, the Jews, the Pilgrims, the Native
Americans, and the African slaves brought to the shores of Virginia. She
told us of our commonalities and how we as a people all should be proud
for overcoming and being able to stand here today and look back at how
very far our ancestors have brought us. In her words, "If we are to
live, if we are to survive, we must do something." Then she recited "A
Pledge to Rescue our Youth." This poem, written by Dr. Angelou, was
commissioned for the Essence Jazz Festival in Houston earlier this year
and is now being circulated nationally to inspire us all.
Dr. Angelou has been a profound force on the face of this earth. She has
been an educator, an actress, an author, a performer, and a mother to
many. She wears these many hats proudly, but above all, her passion is
for the youth. She is an active advocate of a new initiative--the Target
campaign Dream in Color,
a program created to educate youth and
strengthen the family. After Dr. Maya Angelou finished her brief
but eloquent piece, she departed as graciously as she had entered. It
was a privilege and honor to be blessed with her knowledge and wisdom, a
night to remember--an evening with Dr. Maya Angelou.
Read Maya Angelou's "A Pledge to Our Youth"
