Angelou recalls source of inspiration in speech

Maya Angelou told a capacity IU Auditorium crowd of her most personal experiences during a speech Thursday night.

In sharing them, the famed poet and author tried to “liberate” people from the evils of sexism, racism and “all the other idiocies.”

Angelou’s address was part of a belated ArtsWeek and Black History Month celebration. She was supposed to speak March 1 but had to reschedule because of illness.

In her address, Angelou sat in front of the audience and chronicled her journey from an early childhood rape to her discovery of literature, “which seemed to speak to me.”

While living with her mother as a child, Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend, she said.

The man was put in jail and released after one day, she said. Later, he was found kicked to death.

After that, Angelou did not speak for years.

“I thought my voice had killed the man,” she said. “And so I was mute for six years.”
Angelou said she began to speak when a woman in her town helped her familiarize herself with reading.

“Mrs. Flowers took me to the library and told me to read,” she said. “I read about bikes – everything. I found that I loved poetry. It seemed to speak to me.”

Angelou began to read more frequently and explored and memorized many facets of poetry. She loved Shakespeare, she said.  She said his words spoke to her in a way that she could not comprehend.

“At one point, I thought Shakespeare was a black girl,” she said. “How could he know that disgrace was misfortune? It was exactly how I felt.”

Angelou said the poems liberated her from the prejudice that was evident in her town.

Angelou used art to illustrate how powerful it can be when put in a grander context, especially when art and politics are paired together, which was the main theme of her speech.

“Use them together to liberate us so we aren’t caught in the unlivable sexism, racism and all the other idiocies,” she said.

Angelou emphasized the importance of the library and continuing to have art in the
school system.

“You will see how constant our politics are in our art,” she said. “I suggest that until we have arts back in our school, we are going to have madness in the streets.”

Angelou then recited “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” and a poem she recited for the United Nations’ 50th anniversary, “A Brave and Startling
Truth.”

As she stood to leave, Angelou received her second standing ovation of the night – the first came when she first stepped on stage wearing a sparkly brown dress and a ring of pearls.

Audience member and IU staff member Zelideh Cabada said this was the second time she had seen Angelou and that she was now able to understand Angelou’s identity as a woman.

“She’s just one of those speakers that has an aura about her,” Cabada said.

Moorishio De La Cruz, 27, a filmmaker working in Bloomington, said he felt moved by Angelou.

“When she entered, it really brought things into perspective, and she came out with a spiritual rendition,” Delacruz said.

Daniel Malone, a senior, said he shared a connection with Angelou.

“I think it was very thought provoking,” Malone said, “for her to be so down-to-earth and to speak so candidly.”