Maya Angelou
Born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri
Worked along side Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X
Wrote 36 books
Won three Grammys for spoken word albums
Served as an editor of a newspaper in Egypt
Received multiple presidential awards and 50 honorary degrees
A group of about 14 children sat noisily in a classroom. They were told to sit "criss-cross applesauce" as Grace Ferguson, Ball State President’s wife, and some football players read them Maya Angelou’s “My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me.”
The group reading was the launch of the semester-long program called “I Read… I Rise” modeled from Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise.” The program is built as a community tribute to Maya Angelou's focus on building literacy.
The launch took place at the Boys and Girls Club as a part of several Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration events.
Ferguson sat patiently, holding Angelou’s book, and began reading to the children, their ages ranging from 5 to 7. She explained to the children how to remember the name of the village in the book, Ndebele.
“You guys had pizza for lunch, right? So you ate pizza and now where is the pizza?” Ferguson paused as the children muttered answers. “In your belly. Say, 'In da belly.'” The children repeated after her.
After the reading, each child was given a copy of the book. Ferguson said reading to children has been something she has always loved.
“I love being around kids," Ferguson said. "They are the hope of our future. I remember I used to read for my kids ... Their eyes would light up with that love of learning. Kids crave knowledge, and it’s so neat."
Ferguson said reading to children was not her sole purpose of her involvement in I Read… I Rise. She said community allows her to grow into a better person.
“Getting involved in the community is necessary to be the best person I can be," Ferguson said. "What we do is a reflection of what we are, and to be involved in the community is to help everyone learn and grow. It’s important that we are exposed to all types of backgrounds.”
This was her first time visiting the Boys and Girls Club.
Ball State football player Julian Jackson, along with four other players, also volunteered to read to the children.
“This is a day to celebrate a man who took a strong stand against prejudice," Jackson said. "We’re here to carry on a legacy."
Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler began the introductions for the event after the children ate lunch. He explained that his three heroes were John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, all men who were killed because they lived a life of peace. Tyler then urged the audience to fight to follow their dreams.
“I grew up at this Boys and Girls Club," Tyler said. "I would shoot hoops here. I walked here on Saturdays and Sundays to shoot hoops. My son did the same. I was a young man coming from a broken home and broken family. But because of the way people loved and mentored me, I’m the mayor of Muncie. Don’t ever let people tell you that you can’t dream."
Charlene Alexander, Ball State director of office of institutional diversity, approached the podium dancing to Caged Bird Song's official mix of Angelou’s poem, “Still I Rise.”
Alexander listed off Angelou's accomplishments, such as becoming a poet, actress, filmmaker, writer, dancer and singer.
“When she was a little girl, she stopped talking. She didn’t talk for years. She believed that her words had the ability to hurt other people. During this time, she was read 'A Tale of Two Cities,' and thus grew her passion for reading,” Alexander said.
Alexander asked the audience to be silent to demonstrate how it feels to be mute.
“When we read, we rise," Alexander said. "We become powerful. When you read, you can become as powerful as Maya Angelou."
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