Happy 90th birthday Dr. Maya Angelou!

By: Jimmie Sykes

Sending up a special Happy Birthday to the late, great, Dr. Maya Angelou. 

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."

A writer, poet, activist, and most of all, a woman. Happy birthday to the legend. A true inspiration of mine. 

I can sit up and talk to you all day about Maya Angelou. Her older brother nicknamed her Maya, standing for "my sister".  She's an admirable lady. If you get a chance, do some research on her. Dr. Angelou didn't celebrate her birthday in the years prior to MLK's death, which fell on her 40th birthday. This was a powerful woman, impactful in my life as a writer. She made Tupac cry like a baby when he met her on the set of Poetic Justice and at the time she didn't even know who he was. I would've cried if I'd met her too, honestly.

My favorite poem by her is A Brave and Startling Truth, I'm going to share it with you all below. May she continue to rest in peace. 
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"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."