Maya Angelou

Today I finally watched the Sundance Channel's Iconoclast with Dave Chappelle and Maya Angelou. I found myself crying, moved, inspired, and humbled all at once because listening to a voice like Dr. Angelou's is like listening to the voice of a god or at least what I imagine a god to sound like. She speaks with such grace and eloquence where you hold on to every word that she carefully chooses. Also, Dr. Angelou is living history like no other I can think of. She was a friend to Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, something very few have the privilege of claiming. As I sat and listened to her speak, I am reminded of the not so distant past of civil unrest, discrimination, and hated and am left feeling shame, shame in our current society for not having any icons like Dr. Angelou to look up to, to follow, to be inspired by, or to inspire our children. Instead, our culture looks to the current celebrity pop culture star, those who will make the most money for the media giants, and I'm left wondering what will happen if we don't have such influential icons as King, Kennedy, or Gandhi who actually spoke for something of importance. I have always been tied to the revolutions of the 50s and 60s, interested because this was a time my parents personally experienced, and have realized how important it is to never forgot what our country has gone through. However, as I look at the younger generations, I wonder if they will ever appreciate what our parents and grandparents went through to provide them with the spoils of today, wonder if there will ever be a time that people will stop hating so that we can put an end to this vicious cycle. I wonder what icons my children will learn from as Maya Angelou has taught me.