Maya Angelou was an astounding woman, with a captivating trail of successes throughout her life. Her list of recognitions and accolades was extensive, however, a doctoral degree was never one of them. Whether this was an intentional decision or a case of misfortune is still up to debate.
It is true that Angelou never completed any professional courses of study at a post-secondary level, nor did she explicitly declare any formal qualifications that could have otherwise resulted in a degree-granting honorary title conferred to her. Even accounting for varying requirements and practice along the communications industry at her time, Angelou had the intellectual capability and enrollment credentials to pursue an academic curriculum, for which she had to make an informed choice that she did not.
When asked about it, Angelou never shied from the topic and remained true to her philosophy across her repertoire of works that “[A]gainst the assault of laughter, nothing can stand”. Undeterred by criticism, she remained undyingly vocal about the value of her journey in life, which she felt was worth above the validation an academic title could ever offer.
Throughout her poetry and biographical writings, Angelou spoke of the values she acknowledged within higher education and its rightful power to empower students of all ages in modern-day society, even if only through its symbolic influence. Yet, she also remained attuned to its shortcomings and validly critiqued its potential misuse and industrial bias towards a privileged few, on account of its exclusive accessibility.
It is further noteworthy to mention, that the Maya Angelou Centre for Health Equity had its conception at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre, where Angelou acted as a faculty member and authored her autobiography would incidentally become a bestseller. Such connections and interventions within the communicative domain of higher education reaffirmed her cause to affect change and allude to the possibility of a deeper, albeit unrevealed, relationship with academia.
When considered in light of her life-story, it is evident that Angelou was no product of educational privilege or fortune but was instead a credible prototype for the results of hard work and dedication. Even in her absence of proclaiming a formal degree, the situation is still worth debating, and Angelou’s approach to the topic was worth a mention.
Her Elaborated Beliefs
Maya Angelou’s never shied away from drawing out her views on topics she held close to heart, and education was one of them. In one of her most renowned works, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’, Angelou perceptively reflected on the repressive atmosphere of her earlier school life, and the traumas associated with it. A further evaluation of this literature reveals Angelou’s deep-rooted beliefs, both in favour and against a formal education setting.
In her view, the concept of education held immense potential to outlive the material attributes and designations associated with it. By virtue of this, Angelou expressed an emphasis on the value of each individual’s personal successes and experiences. These were in her words, “the door which opens to the gifts of man”, and in many cases, a symbol of “true freedom”. We can see, then, that for her, education was not about attaining a degree but transcending realities to acquire a higher wisdom and degree of understanding.
At the same time, Angelou shared her grievances about the discriminations, created by social and economic biases that plagued the educational space. and noted its improbability of being accessed ‘evenly and impartially’ by everyone. Her words also highlighted the potential cynicisms associated with privileged individuals and their quick access to education resources.
Furthermore, Angelou thought education could “distort truth rather than illuminate [it]” and that it was ultimately “for naught” if it was exclusive and used to ‘impress’. These words partly explains the rationale behind Angelou’s decision to not pursue an academic degree, but instead, her conclusions may further have included her intrinsic capabilities that she considered adept for her cause.
Her Literary Works On Education
In «Still I Rise», Maya Angelou enriched her thoughts towards the concerns of educational inequality. She vocalised her dissension with the imbalances of privilege evident in its practises and the misleading nature of colonial politicking in relation to her educational models. Both in her interviews and papers, she further spoke of her experiences in the educational field and her views of its application in the current landscape.
This poem was a subtle shift of the narrative of the power disparities between wealthy and impoverished individuals. The misemphasis of the system Angelou had previously been exposed to was alien to her and what she wanted to celebrate was the power to take charge of one’s freedom, something which transcends the confines of academic titles. Her words questioned the ‘equal opportunity’ people of colour were offered in educational circles and showcased the many injustices of educational reforms from her standpoint.
Additionally, Angelou wrote of her current circumstances, notably the racism she encountered in her English literature classes at Union High School in San Francisco. Through it, she shares how most African American students there were pushed towards rudimentary subjects, while other students were given better opportunities in matters related to the literate discourse. It is clear, then, that her views on education centred on its irrelevance if the socio-economic circumstances of those impacted by it were not taken into consideration.
It would be incorrect to read these works solely in the form of a victim narrative and misinterpret each dialogue within it as an attack on education. Instead, they hold as a well-articulated, if at times subtle, critique of the lack of freedom in deciding one’s educational routes, which she felt was pertinent for the growth of knowledge and understanding.
Her Literacy Projects
It is pertinent to note, Maya Angelou found other ways of embodying the values of education and intellectual growth. One such example of this was the literacy projects she engaged in for young learners and adult learners, as part of her role as professor at Wake Forest Medical Centre. Through these engagements, Angelou actively sought to advocate for educational reforms and create a more supportive environment for those in pursuit of education.
Her projects ranged from supporting library programmes that emphasised the inclusion of diverse materials such as magazines and newspapers, to providing counselling and access to a more inclusive methodology of teaching, in the form of the ‘Sherman Ackim Lifum Scholar Society’, which was designed to create an environment of recognition and negotiation amongst teachers and students. Angelou’s initiatives further allude to a deeper, albeit unrevealed narrative, of her true values beyond the superficialities of a formal title.
Her explanations to her activities must have been based on her own experiences, as a child when she was denied the opportunity to read, and as a product of the school system of that era. Though, we can only speculate the effects of this decision in her life, her now widely-known memoirs on the topic allude to its importance in her life.
In an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show, Angelou further elaborated on her view of education and highlighted how its “true function” was to inform instead of indoctrinate. Her words were credited with the popularization of rehabilitation and literacy programmes for persons affected by socio-cultural discrimination, ultimately leading to their emancipation.
Her Empowering Convictions
It is true that as a human, Maya Angelou held her convictions close to her heart but if ever asked of it, she never hesitated speaking of her opinion. In her words, “Education is an admirable thing, but […] it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught”.
Angelou considered herself an anomaly in this discourse and believed that she could attain an understanding of reality through her life experiences. She contributed these to her success as a US delegate to South Africa, among many other feats. The resilience she carried towards her convictions may further have motivated her to demonstrate that no matter the external accolades, ‘true power’ was attainable outside the walls of academia.
In the words of Winfrey, Angelou was a “dedicated and fierce champion of true education in the world”, advocating for change in socio-economic systems in order for all humans to “step into the realm of understanding their own power”. These initiatives, from building libraries to teaching courses and conducting research, strengthened the reputation of her advocacy and held significance for her desire to solve the educational disparities in communal spaces.
In her research on the first-time vote of women in South Africa and other initiatives, Angelou spoke of a need to “[grasp] the challenge of freedom and education, not just for some, but for all”. By so doing, Angelou made it unequivocally clear that she was not exclusive in her experience and sought to provide opportunities for her ‘society’ to advance in the same.
Her Advocacy To The Public Sphere
Maya Angelou’s positivity was a remarkable source of inspiration, to which she funded most of her advocacy-based initiatives and technical projects. Her profound sense of resilience became her fuel and was evident in her struggles for the education of youth and adults alike and for the emancipation of all persons of colour. These advocacies spoke to the cause and effect of educational disparities, and she worked passionately to correct the same.
Much of her beliefs and ideas were expressed in her writings and public speeches, in which she consistently argued that through education, people of colour could learn to step into their power and understand their potential as human beings. Her emphasis on responsibility towards education, finances and their effects on education access were also unmistakable and featured in most of her works, in concerns that it could be used as a tool of oppression.
In addition to her activism in the field of education, Angelou actively sought to introduce the values of education to the public sphere. These were expressed through her moving oratories and lectures and included powerful commentaries on racism, gender roles and justice reform. Her efforts to speak of the harsh realities of life and its most subtle nuances also allude to her determination to be heard, even in the face of opposition.
Throughout her life, Maya Angelou’s prolific works, her dedication to her cause, and her unwavering enthusiasm earned her recognition and admiration of many. Her life and works remain an unending source of inspiration, urging us to move forward with zeal and hope, and further reinforce her belief in the power of truth and education as effective tools in achieving a better society.
