farewell Archives - Emerging Women

When I heard the news of Dr. Maya Angelou’s passing this morning my heart swelled with sadness for the loss of such a phenomenal woman. A writer, poet, actor, director, film and television producer, mom, professor, dancer, activist, and movement maker, Dr. Angelou was always rising. This powerful and elegant example of womanhood first captured my heart in college as an English and Women’s Studies major in my late teens. She had fire in her eyes, a grace to her style, and her head was never bowed. What a voice! What courage! And what a complete bad-ass.

When she agreed to speak for Emerging Women Live earlier this year, I was a little stunned, a lot intimidated, and filled with a mountain of gratitude. And now it is with a tender heart that I let her go. We will hold her spirit with reverence and honor at Emerging Women Live in October, and I will trust with all of my heart that her gentle passing is part of a larger, divine plan for all of us women who are called to bring more consciousness into this life.

There have not been many people as impactful and truth-telling as Dr. Angelou, and yet when she wrote of her own experiences, she was writing for us as well. It’s time to take up the mantle, sisters – and brothers. Who will you speak for as you carve your own ebony path?

Please join me in celebrating this phenomenal woman by recognizing all that she has done to give voice to those who have been silenced throughout history. May we not squander her efforts to liberate the “inner mystery” in each of us – and may it be in honor of these efforts that we stand in our own truth for the betterment of our world.