Maya Angelou, an unknown laborer since an early age, had a unique skill that enabled her to become one of the most influential voices that championed justice, equality and fairness – civil rights activism. Then, in late 1952, an impromptu visit to the office of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be a turning point in Angelou’s life, as it sparked an awakening of her deep commitment to the civil rights movement. So, why did Maya Angelou become a civil rights activist?
Summary Close
1. Motivations Within Personal Experiences
2. A Desire To Create A Society Without Discrimination
3. Underlying Faith
4. A Sense of Potential
5. The Power of Unity
6. Conclusion
Some of Angelou’s most powerful motives started with her personal experiences with discrimination. At a young age, Angelou experienced first-hand the racism that was rampant in the south. These injustices, compounded with her natural talent for speaking and the influence of her activist friends, pushed her towards to the civil rights movement. This new movement brought with it another motivation for Angelou: a sense of potential. Working on the frontlines with Dr. King and other activists, Angelou could see first-hand the possibility of a better world.
Angelou became an activist because she wanted to create a society that no longer reduced black people’s rights based on the color of their skin. She received education on the struggle of civil rights, on systemic racism, and on intergenerational trauma. She was able to use her voice to motivate and to show the power of love. For Angelou, it was not enough to talk the talk but she wanted to take the message of equality to the streets and join the struggle of those who were utilizing their resources – their bodies and their minds. She was determined to save the next generation of young people from the same fate that she experienced.
Angelou also had a personal understanding of the need to create communities of care and collective uplifting. She had felt the pain of racism, but also the love of family, friends and mentors. Seeing how much could be achieved when people gathered with a common purpose pushed her to use her voice and whatever power she had to advocate for social justice. This was a common theme in much of her writing, and she moved from one cause to the next, hoping to create a world in which every voice was heard and respected.
Finally, Angelou was driven by her faith. Her religion, as well as her strong belief in the power of God, inspired her to promote kindness, understanding and justice. She knew that if true unity could be achieved, it would be a step towards the overall understanding of God’s love – a concept Angelou embraced and celebrated in her lifetime.In order to understand why Maya Angelou became a civil rights activist, it’s important to identify her primary motivations. Angelou was driven by her personal experiences, a sense of potential, a desire to create a society without discrimination and an underlying faith.
Motivations Within Personal Experiences
From a young age, Angelou experienced the racism prevalent in the southern United States. This experience gave her a unique understanding of the issues around civil rights and systemic racism that could be passed on to others. Angelou not only lived the lived experience, but had the verbal skill to articulate it powerfully. After traveling to the office of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Angelou decided to join the civil rights movement and use her voice on the behalf of those affected by racial injustice.
Additionally, Angelou came of age in the 1950s and 1960s – a time when the civil rights movement was coming into full swing. Originally, Angelou had been a housewife and a mother. Thus, her involvement in the civil rights effort was a great leap of faith. she saw it as a chance to move from a life of limitation toward greater possibilities and opportunities. This urgency marked her journey as an activist, and undoubtedly instilled a powerful sense of potential in the activist for change.
Transforming her anger into advocacy and her experience into strength, Angelou became a presence in the civil rights movement. Altogether, her personal experiences and faith united to give her the courage to make her voice heard and speak out against injustice. Being involved in the civil rights movement showed her the power of collective action and the strength possible only when people come together for a common cause.
A Desire To Create A Society Without Discrimination
Angelou saw the life experiences of many African Americans and how racism diminished the lives of her people. This understanding lent itself to Angelou’s desire to create a society without discriminatory practices. Angelou was actively seeking to not only change the laws of the country but also challenge the beliefs of her people. During her involvement with the civil rights movement, Angelou called people to action and allowed her voice to be heard in order to create a society that fully accepted the African American community.
Angelou particularly strived for a better life for the upcoming generations of African American youth. As an activist, Angelou was more than just a speaker. She sought to understand her platform and the message before spreading it. In other words, she wanted to help educate and inform her community about the injustice that had been suffered and the need for civil rights. Angelou also wanted to share the stories of these struggles and ultimately attempt to abolish racism. Thus, Angelou could articulate her experiences and influential stories which made her a powerful presence in the civil rights movement.
Apart from her work in the civil rights movement, Angelou utilized her writing to promote her values and provide a platform for others of similar backgrounds. By sharing her poetry and works of literature, Angelou’s reach extended to not just the African American community but across other demographics as well.
Her writings highlighted the racial issues of the nation and focused on both the historical perspective, as well as the active existence of racism. In her masterwork, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings”, Angelou used her creative abilities to express the suffering and injustice of the apartheid system. Through this work, Angelou was able to reach a massive audience, empower others of similar backgrounds. The work motivated her peers to resist against racial inequality and discrimination.
Underlying Faith
Finally, Angelou’s faith gave her strength to carry on with the civil rights movement. Known as someone who had strong beliefs in the power of God, Angelou’s faith was one of the main sources of strength for her activism. Angelou pursued the civil rights movement with a sense of optimism, understanding that her work was a calling from God. However, this faith did not make her blind to the existing and present realities of racism.
Angelou believed in justice and equality and sought to make it a reality in her lifetime. Her faith also highlighted the connection between churches and the civil rights movement. Angelou also held an idea that every human was an individual, with dignity and worth. This belief created a space for her to be able to reach out to different communities, in a very public way, to encourage spiritual leaders to take a stand against racism and injustice.
Angelou’s activist life was rooted in her faith. As a Christian, Angelou saw her mission as a continuation of Jesus’ ministry – preaching peace, justice and acceptance; making sure to never ignore the clear message of love for others. Her faith provided an underlying message of hope that she shared within her work, and with her platform, she was able to transform this faith into tangible actions for social justice.
A Sense of Potential
Angelou’s faith in the civil rights movement showed her the potential of social change. After becoming an active participant in the movement, Angelou saw the possibilities of an improved society. Angelou also found solace in being part of something larger than herself. Working with Dr. King and other activists introduced Angelou to a cause that transcended her earlier perceptions of what she thought was possible.
Finally, in the civil rights movement Angelou found a purpose. Now she was not just a housewife and a mother, but an activist. On the streets she was given a platform as an equal to other activists, and had the chance to share her experiences with those who had not yet heard her story. Through this platform, she was given empowerment – a sense of potential in effecting change.
Thus, Angelou saw the civil rights movement not just as an effort to end discrimination, but as a campaign to empower people and communities of color. With a newfound sense of potential, Angelou could look out at the future and see a society that was more equal and just than what she had seen before. It was through this potential, driven by her faith, that Angelou was able to envision a society of racial justice and peace.
The Power of Unity
To Angelou, unity was a core element of the civil rights struggle. Angelou saw the importance of collective action in order to create any sort of change in society. As an activist, Angelou could see first-hand the potential for positive transformation when people came together to protest injustices. Angelou was determined to be an example of this power, and to inspire people to resist systems of oppression and racial injustice.
Angelou became a beacon of hope for the civil rights struggle. She spread the message of love, understanding and acceptance. This was a powerful presence that was rarely seen at the time and her work was instrumental in empowering and motivating others to stay in the fight. In her work, Angelou was able to illustrate how powerful the power of unity can be when a society comes together to advocate for a common cause.
Angelou was able to use her writing, her words, and her unwavering faith to call people to action. To Angelou, unity was the solution to injustice and racism. Her words demonstrated this idea, as she urged people of all backgrounds to join the fight and bring about the change that was needed. Physically and mentally, Angelou was an example of the power of unity and how it can effect a society as a whole.
Conclusion
To understand why Maya Angelou became a civil rights activist, it’s important to recognize her primary motivations. Through her personal experiences with racism and discrimination, Angelou found a driving power to create a society free of those injustices. This was paired with a desire for a better life for the upcoming generations of African American youth. In addition, Angelou found strength in her faith, giving her the courage to pursue justice and equality. Finally, the civil rights movement gave Angelou a platform and showed her the potential of collective action. All of these combined and Angelou was determined to use her voice to advocate for civil rights and bring about a better future.
