Throughout the fall of 1974, a tall black female with an infectious laugh and repetitive influence would stride across the Sacramento State campus like the variegated piper, followed by an entourage of students. Theyd be skipping beside merrily because Maya may perhaps march, she was an athlete, she worked unacceptable, recalled Eugene Redmond, the CSUS professor who recruited Maya Angelou as a distinguished visiting professor of philosophy.
She would tell her students, Never forget how important you are you came into the world for a purpose. You have a mission. recalled Redmond, who became Angelous lifelong friend and gave 32 interviews worldwide subsequent to she died Wednesday at age 86. Shed in the region of skinny, fat, gay, above-board, black, white, Asian were alike in extra ways than unalike, Redmond recalled. That was the thrust of her life.
Angelou, one of Americas best notorious poets, touched millions with her words and her amazing journey. The 7-year-old girl raped by a relative in rural Arkansas. The 16-year-old youngster mother who became prostitute and madam at 20. The first black female cable automobile conductor in San Francisco, who wore an Afro long formerly it represented the politics of switch. The exotic performer, fry cook, auto detailer, Calypso singer, actress, director, author, and antiviolence- and civil rights activist.
Countless of the lives she touched were in the Sacramento region, where she taught philosophy, journalism and prose to thousands of students in curriculum and appearances at Sacramento City College, UC Davis, University of the Pacific and the annual Third World Writers And Thinkers Symposium prearranged by an added famous lyricist and artist at CSUS, the late Jose Montoya, Redmond recalled. Angelou lived in Berkeley and Sonoma, and often visited Stockton where her mother, Vivian Baxter, was a community activist.
She interacted with thousands of students, held Redmond, who taught English, poetry and ethnic studies at CSUS from 1970 to 1985. Shed tell them she wanted to live with passion, compassion, life and style. She had a bright, big spirit and shed train in that you should be attracted to without holding nether, Redmond held. I still necessity to hear that.
Angelou infected everyone from jocks to chemistry majors with her be attracted to of words and poetry, Redmond held. Shed open by saying, I have superstar to share with you and Im going to put it in rhythm, whether its going on for the shoeshine boy in Time Square or her grandmother.
She taught them that the as a rule important advantage is courage, because without courage you cant practice slightly of the other virtues, such as be attracted to, Redmond held. She had the courage to spill her life. And she expected the same of her acquaintances. There were three things you had to do whenever you sat with Maya: you had to become a raconteur, tell roughly stories, tall tales and fabrication. You had to tipple with her, preferably a spirit, however it may perhaps be apple or tomato juice and you had to have a bite to devour with her.
Redmond first ran into Angelou in the late 1960s at rallies, conferences, open-air plays, workshops, readings and protests in New York, Los Angeles and the Bay Field. The world was churning, and when I saw her I was moved by her ability, deep conviction, artistic awareness and her gift to ponder well on her feet and perform, he held. He approached her at a performance at Sacramento City College in 1970, and she asked him to joint her at the Ming Tree on Fair Oaks Boulevard, which became one of her favorite haunts.
She looked at him and held in her deep, emphatic, almost masculine influence: Eugene, be my brother everlastingly held Redmond, who was totally disarmed. He decided, and from then on, he held, she had my nether and I had hers. He and professor David Covin recruited Angelou to come to CSUS, where she taught going on for 30 students Tuesdays and Thursdays, crashing at Redmonds Sacramento home. Talk going on for a great cook shed do chicken, racks of lamb, pork braised and baked, she loved steaks, magnificent salads and carmelized dishes.
Angelou taught her students philosophy and journalism, from Beowulf to T.S. Elliot, Aristotle to black student civil rights leader Stokley Carmichael, Redmond held. Stokely Carmichael used to in the region of life had to be going on for something, so entirely of her life she was going on for something, Redmond held. Angelou, who was married for a short time to a South African freedom fighter, admired Civil War generals and the great warriors of history who went to bat for their people, every time linking philosophy to the liberation struggle.
Angelou tied the struggles of migrant people in Watsonville, Ariz., and New Mexico to the civil rights struggle and ended her seminar with a play going on for them. Lisa Lacy, a student who performed the opening poem, had read Angelous autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, when she was a student at Kennedy High School. As a young black girl growing winning in south Sacramento, where she and her acquaintances suffered racial slurs and had bottles thrown at them, she was my hero, Lacy held of Angelou. It wasnt just her size, it was her demeanor. She was this queen walking across campus with this trail of students.
Lacy held Angelou helped ordinary people like her to envision a life greater than the norm and obtain to live it. Angelou inspired her to become an actress, lyricist, activist and a teacher. Lacy now runs Images Theatre Company of Sacramento, which of late performed her play Livin Unacceptable Loud in Los Angeles. She and teaches in the Sacramento City Unified School Districts Slightly Given Young person art program.
Angelous influence still resonates here. UC Davis professor Andy Jones plays her recordings on Dr. Andys Poetry and Knowledge Hour from 5-6 p.m. Wednesday on KDVS. I train in her in my introduction to poetry and journalism curriculum, held Jones, who saw Angelou at UC Davis when she performed without a script at Freeborn Hall in the middle 90s. Shes important because she offers an accessible landscape of the African American female experience. Jones held. She dealt with incredible pain, hardship and poverty, and yet in her poetry and prose, she delivers an uplifting message of resolve and courage and hope.
Redmond wish never forget Angelous be short of of bitterness, and her confidence and be attracted to. She held there was no excuse for not being good, even superb, even superior at something you want to do, something you be attracted to. And her be attracted to was absolute. She may perhaps talk you into going and hugging a relative youd been estranged from for a long time. That was just incredible.
Redmond is now the Lyricist Laureate of East St. Louis, Ill., however he comes nether to visit Sacramento every day. He wish host a chat span at the Womens Civil Progress Club in Oak Park at 10:30 am. Saturday as part of the first Sacramento Black Book Fair.
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