Still I Rise

MAYA ANGELOU

In the fall of 1968, I came back to the University of Washington after a summer working as a social worker in New York City. My life was influenced enough by that experience that I changed my major to Communication. One of my Communication classes involved auditing classes in a newer field of study called Black History. It was the beginning of a journey of lifetime learning to more fully appreciate the contributions of Black Americans to all parts of the American Story. Having dedicated my life to singing, writing songs and telling stories, Maya Angelou has been a longtime inspiration for me. On one of the Civil Rights Pilgrimages I was part of, a poet read Maya Angelou’s poem, "Still I Rise," as we visited a garden spot that is also Fanny Lou Hamer’s resting place. It was a moving experience.  

Troy Bonnes took the photos at Fannie Lou's Memorial Garden