DRUMROLL PLEASE…
Member Kate Van Dermark is the winner of March engagement! Read her submission below and remember to submit yours at comms@womenscaucus.co.uk (please click here for details) for a chance to be April’s winner!
Maya Angelou (by Kate Van Dermark)
She lived a life full of adventure and learning, activism and passion. She was a streetcar conductor, actor, singer, dancer, playwright, director, producer, journalist, writer, speaker, activist, and poet. She travelled the world. She spoke 6 languages. She was told she cannot achieve, and she laughed in the face of failure. When she was attacked by her mother’s boyfriend at 8 years old, she refused to be subdued. She was a voracious reader, and a virtuoso poet. She embodied grace and hope, full of inspiration and ambition. Maya Angelou is a true inspiration.
And that is what she instilled in me, when at 8 years old, I had the privilege of seeing her speak. She planted the seeds of learning and adventure, aspiration and hope. As I grew, so did my admiration. I read her books and poems, marvelled at her on the national stage, and watched her make history. I came to respect her struggle and perseverance, admire her grace and strength. And when she passed away in 2014, I felt the immensity of her contribution, the light of her wisdom, and the endurance of her spirit. She is an American hero.
You can see a glimmer of her radiance here, as she reads her famous poem, “Still I Rise”: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=JqOqo50LSZ0.
Contest details:
Participate in the April competition for Women’s History Month/Herstory Month! Email us at comms@womenscaucus.co.uk with your name, a photo of your #WCW, and a paragraph or two explaining why she inspires you.
Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 pm GMT on Friday 23 March. The April prize is a free Women’s Caucus t-shirt! We look forward to reading all about your inspirations!