1 minute read
.9l Piece of'Today
By Amanda Gamer
"She touches everybody that she meets!" This was senior, Jennifer DeKalb's response to hearing poet Maya Angelou speak at Pershing Auditorium in October Jennifer has seen Maya on television before Jennifer also enjoys reading many of Maya Angelou's books and poems .
Maya Angelou opened the program with a song She came out onto to the stage and just started singing a folk song.
The event was originally sold out since Pershing was only selling floor tickets, but there was so much demand for tickets, that Pershing opened the er:i-tire auditorium.
"She told us the importance of utilizing the library, that those books have been written for us," Jennifer commented.
Maya Angelou firmly supports the efforts of education. Jennifer also felt that the night was very inspirational and uplifting. Maya seemed happy to be in Lincoln.
Jennifer'sfavoritepieceofwritingbyMaya Angelou is, "I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings " This book is an autobiography about Maya Angelou's entire life.
Jennifer's favorite part in particular was a passage about Maya's junior high graduation in Ohio The white mayor had come to speak to the graduating African American students, he told them that they were going to be nothing, they would never be anything more than a bag lady, or janitor, and all the good Jives were going to be lived by the white students.
After that, everyone's dreams were destroyed and everyone had lost hope . Then the class president got up to make his speech to the parents, instead he turned around to face the students, and starts singing "Lift Every Voice ." Pretty soon, the whole student body was singing.
"She muttered, lifting her head a nod toward freedom I shall not, I shall not be moved " excerpt from Maya Angelou's poem "Our Grandmother's"
