May 28, 2014
MAYA ANGELOU’S FINAL TWEET
IS JUST AS BEAUTIFUL
AS YOU’D EXPECT
There is perhaps no famous person more perfect for Twitter than Maya Angelou. The medium served Angelou, who passed away at 86 years old Wednesday, and her followers perfectly — with just 140 characters, the famed “Still I Rise” poet was able to deliver inspiration, love, and beauty through her words, proving that the social media network could be valuable for more than just negativity and cat photos. ”Let the brain go to work, let it meet the heart and you will be able to forgive”; ”If we have someone who loves us—I don’t mean who indulges us, but who loves us enough to be on our side—then it’s easier to grow resilience”; ”Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: ‘I’m with you kid. Let’s go’” — it was difficult to not take Angelou’s words to heart when logging onto her feed. Or not to smile when noticing the beauty in the simplest of tweets: ”This a a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.”
And Angelou’s final tweet was just as lovely. Penned May 23, just days before she passed away after battling health problems, the poet’s last 140-character contribution referenced the voice of a being she would soon meet:
Indeed, based on her Twitter feed, Angelou’s final days were serene. Celebrating Mother’s Day, the concept of “overcoming,” her 86th birthday — the poet’s life appeared filled with the joy and inspiration readers felt digesting her work. (And Angelou’s family seemed to confirm that in a statement on Facebook, saying the poet’s “ascension was not belabored by the loss of acuity or comprehension.” And despite the fact that she is no longer among us, even she was plenty conscious of her staying power:
No question about it.
__________________________
Jan. 13, 2014
The Story Behind
This Beautiful Photo
Of Maya Angelou And
Amiri Baraka Dancing
Angelou took to Facebook to share this story about the photo of her dancing with the late Baraka.posted on
After the passing of the poet and activist Amiri Baraka on Thursday, many shared their remembrances of the prolific author and theworks he gave the world. Maya Angelou took to Facebook to share the story behind this photo:
“Amiri Baraka was already the people’s poet when he answered to the name LeRoi Jones. We had a very famous photograph taken in 1991 by Chester Higgins, Jr. The photograph appeared in the New York Times. At the time the legend under said in effect, two of America’s great poets dancing a traditional African rite dance over the remains of Langston Hughes at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. I telephoned Amiri Baraka and said were you doing traditional African dance, he said, “No, I was doing the jitterbug.” I said I was doing the Texas hop and it became a Jet magazine centerpiece. Rest in peace my brother. I give condolences to everybody, because when a poet dies something hopeful in the national psyche disappears.”
>via: http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/the-story-behind-this-beautiful-photo-of-maya-angleou-and-am
__________________________
MHP | September 16, 2012
Maya Angelou:
We lack courage, wisdom
to educate ourselves
Melissa Harris-Perry shares her exclusive interview
with the acclaimed Dr. Maya Angelou.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
>via: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/mhp/49052367#49052367





