Maya Angelou, is the one reason I love to read. Having to read "To Kill a Mockingbird as a class assignment, begin my desire to read everything by this woman. Then my senior year in high school as a contestant in the Alpha Kappa Alpha Fashionetta Pageant a young lady performed a piece that repeated the words "Phenomenal Women", I learned once again it was written by Maya Angelou. It wasn't till I was in my twenties, that I could afford to purchase every single book she had written. In my thirties I had an opportunity to hear her speak in Austin, Texas. Now a member of the first Greek Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, we share a sisterhood like no other. I related to Soror Angelou, she was raised by her grandmother, had child at a young age, loved to travel, and had a desire to do good works on earth and she was kind to all. Today we celebrate the loss of an amazing, phenomenal women, who expected no more from society but fairness and justice. She wanted women to know "we are great", to hold our head high and respect ourselves. I am happy and appreciative that she was able to share her talents with the world, she was willing to put her thoughts in print that we may always be able to reference, when needed. Thank you God for blessing such a phenomenal women and sharing her with us. Soror Maya you will be missed dearly, but your words will remain in our thoughts and hearts for a lifetime.
