I remember listening to Maya Angelou read poetry & speak aloud with so much conviction as a little girl and repeatedly reading the words “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” from a book that stood on my mother’s bookshelf throughout my childhood. Still, it was never until I was older that I read her memoirs in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of her story. What I gained was even more; an interest in the importance of writing my way out of personal circumstances... a means of attaining freedom from within. I hope that one day I will be able to ben as verbal with my thoughts and as conscious of my words as she was... & to inspire my students in this way. Happy 90th Dr. Angelou! Give thanks for your BEARTH.












