Liberating Souls Essay Sample

Maya Angelou died at the age of 86 on May 28, this year. She left the world with her powerful words that can liberate a person’s mind and soul; words that can agitate people from different race around the globe to act for social change. One of her famous quotations is “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated”. She was the first African-American woman to speak of equality, change, and of freedom through her writings like I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, I Shall Not Be Moved and many other books, poems, essays and speeches.
She was born during the most difficult time for the African-Americans but she dared to struggle, to write, to speak and form movements for the liberty of her race. The race that is historically exploited discriminated and ridiculed. She is also referred to as a Renaissance woman leader for she mastered her skills in art and literature amidst the cruel situation. She used these skills as the voice of her voiceless race that challenged the oppressive structures.
Maya Angelou’s courage is only a reflection of the many civil rights activists around the world who are forming social movements, using literature and arts for advocacy and braving the threats of militarism just to serve for the powerless, oppressed and marginalized. In the Philippines, cultural workers are immersing their selves in the remote communities and create cultural productions to enlighten the people in the cities about the realities in the government systems especially on social services. Well renowned writers are braving the civil war situation just to chronicle peoples’ stories that have an impact towards a change in national legislations. Moreover, women leaders in Burma are facing dreadful possibilities just to amplify the voices of the women and girls in the refugee camps.
In the Asia Pacific women’s movement, Maya Angelou is a huge inspiration. Her quotation stated above about defeat is influential in the lives of many social activists. Despite militarism, fundamentalism and corporate globalization in the Asia Pacific region causing violence economically, politically and culturally, they still continue to fight and advocate for systemic change. Like Maya Angelou said, there may be many defeats but the people working for change should not be defeated. Those words kept activists to keep moving. They also learn from Angelou’s personal experience that when her great comrades in forming movement for freedom namely Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated, she stood with her head on for the many African-Americans suffering injustices.
She was indeed a brave woman worthy to be replicated. She has the qualities of a true leader that sacrifices personal desires in order to be able to serve for the benefit of the people. When Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were assassinated, she could have chosen to lie low and just focus on her skills to earn a well-off living but she chose otherwise. She lived her life with the civil rights movement not only among the African-Americans but among the civil rights activists around the world. She was indeed a Renaissance woman. She excelled in her arts in order for a just and humane society to be born. She liberated many souls, enlightened and moved young hearts to continue the growing social movements. Her death definitely will not be wasted for many liberated souls will continue what she has started.
Maya Angelou’s life reflects the five practices of exemplary leadership by Kauzes and Posner which are Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart. Her life and writings are perfect examples of an exemplary leader.