Maya Angelou Views Donald Sterling Ouster As Racial Progress

Renowned poet Maya Angelou, whose health is forcing her to miss a scheduled MLB Civil Rights event today, commented on the Donald Sterling controversy in a recent interview with American Currentsee magazine. In the interview, Maya described the Donald Sterling situation as a step toward racial progress:

“Do you realize that even 25 years ago, had he done this there would be nothing, there would be a few heads turning maybe,” Angelou told executive editor Armstrong Williams in this candid interview. She continued to echo her astonishment at Sterling’s punishment:

“But do you realize that this man has been banned? With all of his money and all of his history and the white skin which covers his whole body.”

When followed up with a second question, the outspoken Angelou continued her assessment on racial progress in America, stating that while Sterling is a great example of change, we can’t assume racism is completely removed in today’s world:

“I say we have come far, this man is a throw-forward, that’s all, not a throwback. There are many people like [Mr. Sterling] who in person would say, ‘I accept your award, and thank you for caring and thinking of me as an equal,’ but in private, if you could catch them on an iPad or Twitter or something, your ears would burn…Ignorance is afoot, and it’s not going away easily.”

Maya also sees the Donald Sterling situation as one that will clearly not be easily resolved. When discussing the possibility of Donald Sterling selling the Clippers without a fight, Angelou quoted Frederick Douglas when she told Williams, “Power has never been known to give up any of itself upon the simple request of it. You don’t just walk up to power and say, ‘Give me some of yourself, please.'”

Angelou has never hesitated to voice her opinion in her 86 years on this planet. Her biography includes several highly-regarded autobiographies that focus on her childhood and early adult experiences for which she is best known. Maya Angelou has also published three books of essays and several books of poetry and has won several prestigious awards in her lifetime, including the National Medal of Arts.

As previously reported by Inquisitr, Maya’s health is going to force her out of an appearance at a MLB Civil Rights event today, where she was to be honored alongside legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson. Other African-American baseball players and civil rights leaders instrumental to the integration of professional baseball are also to be honored.

No further information regarding Maya Angelou’s condition is known at the moment.

[Photo courtesy JStone / Shutterstock.com ]