Equality

Equality By Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman. Being a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, Dr. Angelou continues to travel the world making appearances, spreading her legendary wisdom.

A mesmerizing vision of grace, swaying and stirring when she moves, Dr. Angelou captivates her audiences lyrically with vigor, fire and perception. She has the unique ability to shatter the opaque prisms of race and class between reader and subject throughout her books of poetry and her autobiographies.

Dr. Angelou has authored twelve best-selling books including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, A Song Flung Up to Heaven and Even the Stars Look Lonesome

In 1981, Dr. Angelou was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.

In January 1993, she became only the second poet in U.S. History to have the honor of writing and reciting original work at the Presidential Inauguration.

Equality

You declare you see me dimly through a glass which will not shine, though I stand before you boldly, trim in rank and making time.

You do own to hear me faintly as a whisper out of range, while my drums beat out the message and the rhythms never change.

Equality, and I will be free. Equality, and I will be free
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You announce my ways are wanton, that I fly from man to man, but if I'm just a shadow to you, could you ever understand?

We have lived a painful history, we know the shameful past, but I keep on marching forward, and you keep on coming last.

Equality, and I will be free. Equality, and I will be free.

Take the blinders from your vision, take the padding from your ears, and confess you've heard me crying, and admit you've seen my tears.

Hear the tempo so compelling, hear the blood throb through my veins. Yes, my drums are beating nightly, and the rhythms never change.

Equality, and I will be free. Equality, and I will be free.

Written by Maya Angelou