My very first tattoo was these three powerful words; shoutout to Maya Angelou for that.
These words are so powerful to me because of the trials and tribulations I have faced and those yet to come. Breaking down this small phrase may seem pointless or nearly impossible, but I am going to use what I know to enlighten you all. “Still” to me is equivalent to regardless of any and everything, keep going, keep trying, keep pushing keep thriving, but most importantly keep fighting for what you deserve. Next, is “I”, the importance of this word is heavy. A lot of women lose sight of themselves and their needs due to our nurturing nature, we tend to over look ourselves. “I” reminds me to continuously show myself love, treat myself every once in a while, and to always make sure that I am okay. Lastly, “Rise”. Rise is a constant factor in the African American community, if you fall get up, if you fail try again, if you lose keep trying until you win. RISE! The phrase contains more than what meets the eye and it took me a while to find the meaning, but knowing and understanding makes her poem resonate with me more.
Just a little background information on Maya Angelou. She was most famously known for her series of books she published, poems, speeches, and activist work. She is a woman with an impeccable story, she was a sex worker, and from there she worked and performed as a singer and dancer at club Calypso, she worked along-side of Malcom X in Ghana for years, she was a professor there as well, all of that while composing and publishing numerous books and poems. One of her most famous poems and obviously y personal favorite is “and Still I rise”.
In “Still I Rise” she brags and boast about herself as a woman and how she will always overcome the trials and tribulations she faces. This poem was written in 1978, which was not an easy period for women rights. Women were always forced to conform and follow directions, but this poem showed her rebellion. She was not afraid to be who she wanted to be as a BLACK woman. This poem has allowed for so many black girls to grow up and be proud of the skin they are in and love who they are despite the standards set by society.
Her story within itself s amazing she rose beyond all statistics ad nay-sayers and she showed them that with hard work and effort you can be whatever you put your mind to. Her work will forever be appreciated and used in the future of all African American women. Keep rising, keep going, kep
A Woman, I am. 