Black History Month - Maya Angelou - Eileen Campbell-Reed

Caged Bird
Black History Month – Day 2

In the fall of 2014, I taught a course in World Religions to 25 men in prison. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had as a teacher. It was also one of the most disturbing and unsettling experiences I’ve ever had as a pastor and theologian. I’m still unpacking the experience, and plan to continue writing in that direction.

For tonight, in honor of Black History month, I want to share a poem that I shared with my students at the end of class. We couldn’t take food into the prison, so I had to find a different way to celebrate the end of the term. I shared poetry. I’ve long loved Maya Angelou and she presciently captures the tragic situation in which U.S. prison systems are steeped in racial injustice and work to keep a form of slavery in place.

Let her words take flight and open up your imagination and your heart with compassion . . .

By Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

and dips his wing

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

More. . . (read the rest of this poem at the Poetry Foundation).

Posted by:Eileen Campbell-Reed

+ Visiting Associate Professor at Union Theological Seminary + Co-director of the Learning Pastoral Imagination Project + Founder and host of Three Minute Ministry Mentor + Author of Pastoral Imagination: Bringing the Practice of Ministry to Life