Maya Angelou by Donna Brown Agins

Author:Donna Brown Agins [Agins, Donna Brown]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4645-1147-9
Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2013-03-11T04:00:00+00:00

Pan-Africanism

Pan-Africanism refers to a movement founded around the turn of the century. This movement worked to secure equal rights, self-government, and unity for African peoples. Pan-Africanism encourages the study of African history, culture, and leadership. Kwame Nkrumah was a leading figure in this movement.6

Chapter 8

WANDERING

Angelou wanted to see eastern Ghana before she returned to the United States. For the first several hours of the trip, Angelou and two other passengers relaxed in the backseat of a car and listened to the murmur of the engine. Red bougainvillea bloomed wild by the sides of the roads. Clusters of palm trees grew scattered over the hillsides.

Suddenly, as their vehicle approached a bridge, Angelou became tense.1 She announced that everyone had to get out of the car. Puzzled, the passengers got out and walked across the bridge. Angelou did not know why she was so afraid to ride across the bridge in the car, but she knew it was a feeling she could not ignore.2

When she got back in, their guide, Mr. Adadevo, asked her if she knew anything about the history of the region. Angelou said no. He explained that the bridges in that area were known for being poorly constructed. Often, when there was a heavy rain, the platform could not hold the weight of a car, and only if people walked across would they arrive safely on other side.

Later in the East Ghana town of Keta, Mr. Adadevo guided Angelou toward the marketplace. He wanted her to meet his sister. When Angelou climbed the stairs to the open-air market, she saw a tall, thin woman standing at the top. The woman spoke to her in Ewe, the language of the region. Angelou shook her head. Even though she did not understand the villager’s words, she noticed that the stranger’s voice was similar to her own. The woman took Angelou by the hand and led her from stall to stall. The other villagers also refused to believe that Angelou was an American who spoke only Fanti and English.3

Mr. Adadevo translated that the women insisted she was someone else, someone they knew. Angelou showed them her California driver’s license. The villagers’ insistence turned to sadness, which puzzled Angelou. During the time of slavery, Mr. Adadevo explained, nearly everyone in the Keta village was taken away or killed. But a few children ran away and hid in the bush. These boys and girls watched from afar as their parents were put in chains and taken away while their village burned to the ground.

Angelou had come to Africa to find a missing piece of her identity. Here in the village of Keta on one of her last days on the continent, she connected to her people’s land of origin. Now Angelou was ready to return to the United States. She knew her new job in New York with Malcolm X was important work, and she was eager to get started.

Several days later, at the airport in Accra, Guy and many friends gathered to say good-bye to her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.