The Observer, November 17, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 11
Maya Angelou delivers inaugural CISCDR lecture
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Despite the cold Cleveland weather, dozens of people enthusiastically gathered at the Amasa Stone Chapel on Thursday, Nov. 9. The crowd, consisting of people from various age groups, professions, and racial backgrounds, came together for the common purpose of Dr. Maya Angelou share her wisdom.
Angelou was the inaugural speaker for the CISCDR (Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Conflict and Dispute Resolution, pronounced "sister,") Maya Angelou Distinguished Interdisciplinary Lecture. The Center developed from an interdisciplinary study conducted over the last five years by CISCDR Director and Law Professor Calvin Sharpe. It focuses on the nature of, causes of, and solutions to conflict in human social interactions. Launched in April 2005, the program features three distinguished lectures each year. These include the CISCDR Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence Lecture, the CISCDR Distinguished Visitor Lecture, and now, the CISCDR Maya Angelou Distinguished Interdisciplinary Lecture.
Sharpe, who is related to Angelou, described her as having, "the unique ability to shatter the opaque prism of race and class." As Director of the Center, it was Sharpe's pleasure to have Angelou as the inaugural speaker at the lecture named in her honor.
Globally, Angelou is an icon for conflict resolution. As a world-famous poet and civil rights activist, she is known for her ability to approach social issues gracefully, while at the same time aggressively demanding that others strive to achieve their full potential. Her achievements are as impressive as they are endless. In 1981, Angelou was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University. In January 1993, she became only the second poet in U.S. history to have the honor of reciting original work at the presidential inauguration of Bill Clinton.
Angelou did not step up to the lectern and mechanically recite a typical thank-you to the crowd or to Sharpe; those sincere words came later. Rather, in her distinct, powerful voice, Angelou sang "This Little Light of Mine." The introduction of her speech consisted of fast-paced poetic verses about her life, with upbeat interjections from thesong. Within the first five minutes of her lecture, the crowd became intimately acquainted with this remarkable woman.
Angelou was incredibly humble. Rather than placing the audience beneath her, as most distinguished speakers do, she told personal stories and kept the audience entertained. From her hatred of flying, to her love of her Uncle Willie, to her frequent comical run-ins with awestruck fans, Angelou let the crowd into her personal life. This lecture was not about the technicalities of conflict resolution, but about the importance of realizing that we have the responsibility to "be a dissolver of dispute and conflict."
How do we go about this responsibility? According to Angelou, it's simple: you laugh. You laugh, allow others to make you laugh, and cause others to laugh. In fact, Angelou feels so passionately about this that she caused the crowd to burst into laughter by bluntly saying, "I don't trust people who don't laugh." She tied in her idea of the importance of laughter to the main theme of her lecture, which was that we are all lights and that the lights on our paths shape us into who we are. "I know that each one of us is a light. Each has a responsibility to light a path for others," she said. Laughter then becomes a light for us to use to bring peace into the world.
Angelou's charismatic and comical demeanor caused the audience to laugh for the majority of her lecture. Even though she was focusing on serious issues such as racial and gender oppression, she did not let the lecture become depressing or hopeless. Instead, she recited numerous poems, including those she wrote for the presidential inauguration and the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, and frequently broke into song. The entire audience was captivated by the story of a woman who struggled from a young age, only to become one of the most successful African American women in U.S. history. It was the story of Maya Angelou, and she is well aware of who she is, where she came from, and where she is going.
As Sharpe noted, Angelou has the unique ability to look past racial and class boundaries. "In minor ways we are different. In major ways, we're the same," she said. One of her most profound pieces of wisdom was the encouragement to look past these barriers of human existence, in an effort to resolve conflict and dispute. "I am a human being. Nothing human can be alien to me," Angelou said. With those words, Angelou inspired the crowd to become the "lights for others' paths."
Angelou's speech was motivating to those in attendance. Betsy Hatok , a freshman interested in law school, was inspired by her words. "As a prospective law student, Maya Angelou's lecture taught me to appreciate all of the people that will light my path to law school and future success," said Hatok. Angelou also inspired those who are not interested in a profession in law. Freshman Maya Alunkal commented, "Maya Angelou's speech was truly inspiring. I had never read her works before, but after listening to her I realized that she is a remarkable person. It was definitely worth $20."
It was obvious that these feelings were shared by the rest of the audience. People cheered, laughed, clapped, and sang along with Angelou as she poured her heart out to the crowd. I even heard the woman sitting next to me whisper to her friend, "She sure has a way with words."
This year's inaugural CISCDR Maya Angelou Distinguished Interdisciplinary Lecture was truly a success. And, just as graciously as she began her speech, Angelou ended it with the same song; "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine . . ."
