This is a thin book about Ms. Angelou’s musings about herself, her life, and her interactions with other people throughout her life.

She was not a gentle woman but a courageous woman who did not let anyone treat her badly from what she writes in this book.  Some of the sections are Faith, Taking Time for Yourself, Death and Grieving, Style, etc.

One section that stood out for me is how she lost a white “friend” just by asking him to repeat something he said to her a few times until he understood what he said in the section “Our Boys”:  “You know the black soldiers are having a horrific time over there, and our boys are having a tough time, too”.   The man was president of the National Council of Christians and Jews at that time and had been in Germany trying to “ameliorate the conditions for the American soldiers”.  He never returned her calls after that.

Ms. Angelou: “The incident saddened and burdened me.   The man, his family and friends were lessened by not getting to know me and my family and friends.   And it also meant that I, my family, and friends were lessened by not getting to know him.   Because we never had a chance to talk, to teach each other, and learn from each other.   Racism had diminished all the lives it had touched.  Diversity makes for a rich tapestry.”

Maya Angelou (/ˈændʒəloʊ/ (listen);^[1][2] born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.^[3] Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961. (Wikipedia)

It reminds me about some things Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. said:

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.”

“I have heard numerous religious leaders of the South call upon their worshippers to comply with a segregation decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers say, ‘follow this decree because integration is morally right and the Negro is your brother’”.   Excerpt from “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, April 16, 1963.  BRC-News:  Black Radical Congress-General News/Alerts/Announcements   (Full letter https://stanford.edu/group/docs/Birmingham.html)

I liked Maya Angelou’s book, “Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now”.   It gave me some insight into her personality and life.  My favorite poem of hers is “Phenomenal Woman”.

Written by Rosa L. Griffin