Lead through courage, Angelou stresses at Coralville conference

The woman who dropped out of school at age 14 to become San Francisco's first African-American female cable car conductor, has spent the next seven decades shattering all the barriers in her path.

“Maya Angelou has paved the way for all women today,” event director Diane Ramsey told an overflow audience Tuesday night at the Iowa Women's Leadership Conference, held at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Convention Center.

And for the next hour, Angelou offered pearls of wisdom born of her 83 years of knowing great joy and great hardship, as she developed the courage to let herself soar.

A celebrated poet, author, professor, singer, dancer, actor, historian, playwright, producer, director and civil rights activist, the St. Louis native is an example for both genders.

She went back to school, speaks multiple languages, teaches at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., and has amassed more than 30 honorary degrees, a Pulitzer nomination, three Grammy Awards and in February, the nation's highest civilian honor - the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Yet her basic life lessons were learned from the grandmother who raised her - the daughter of a former slave and the only black store owner in Stamps, Ark.

“What kind of phenomenon she must have been,” Angelou said. “Here is a group of women in 2011 talking about leadership and I'm obliged to remember we've been leading a long time. We've been raising a nation of leaders.”

Through poetry, song, life stories and encouraging words, she urged those gathered to continue teaching, leading the next generation through truth and example.

She remains astonished by her grandmother's declaration: “You are going to be a teacher and teach all over this world.”

“Black, the daughter of a former slave, this mother of two sons, raising them in the lynching South, had enough courage to lead,” Angelou said. “In her time she was considered a wise woman. How do we get to be like that, unless you accept your responsibility?

“This is why I wanted to come here, because the women in this leadership conference have decided to accept the responsibility - to take the responsibility for the time they have and the space they occupy.”