my favorite maya angelou photo

So many photos of Maya Angelou are of her older.

I love this photo because she is a young woman in it.

She was a young woman. In a turbulent place and time. Who stood up. And that is why she became the statesman we all see portrayed today.

She herself said there is a danger in putting people on mountains and draping them in celebrity and power because it makes young people give up. Because someone young will see this mountain with all this celebrity and wisdom and power draped on it and say, I can’t do that. I can’t be that.

Every person you ever saw draped in that power cloak of celebrity and statesmanship started out just like you.

Young, looking at magazines, kicking her feet up.

You can do that.

Kick your feet up. And become.