And Still I Rise
What could possibly be said about the great, unfathomable Dr. Maya Angelou, that hundreds of admirers have not already attempted to say? There’s simply not enough words or time - and plenty of competition.
Dr. Angelou is possibly the most interesting, convicted, lofty yet somehow always relatable human that has, at least, ever graced my life. If you read about her life, watch her documentaries - you will find a person you could have hardly dreamt of. As close to a great protagonist of literature as the 20th century would ever get.
And she was good. Truly good. Throughout the hardship, she maintained her razor sharp focus, and spent her time well; always intentional. I cannot say enough, but i’ll stop at that.
When the Herd Initiative was called down to represent the 2022 Georgia senate runoffs once again, the first being in 2020-2021 John Lewis, we needed a subject that easily assumed the role of activist, leader, and progressive.
Dr. Angelou was the obvious choice - and I must say, she may be the finest work Stan, I, and the Herd Initiative team have ever created.
Our message was encouragement - go and vote. Go and vote now. Be a good citizen for your neighbors and yourself and represent yourself in the most American fashion; exercising your democratic freedom. Dr. Angelou would urge similiar often, as a key figure in the civil rights movement, but also as a thinking, responsible American.
The excerpt from the informational billboard in front of the image for passerby to read:
“And Still, I Rise is an Earthwork installation. This 90 x 110 ft piece was created to honor the visionary that was/is Maya Angelou.
Dr. Maya Angelou was a seminal social justice figure for African Americans, as well as a deeply authentic leader for Americans seeking refuge in peace, inner power, and love. Through her eclectic life, Dr. Angelou was a successful writer, poet, singer, dancer, actor, speaker, activist, traveler, artist and leader - but by far her greatest achievement was her brilliance of character; a character so powerful that it would bridge gaps between social inequities for years to come. And Still, I Rise expresses solidarity with Dr. Angelou’s legacy, in tandem with encouraging Atlantians to vote in the 2022 Georgia Senate runoff election.
Stan Herd and his non-profit Herd Initiative have explicit interest in creating dynamic works of art that move its audiences to progressive action; actions of cultivating Earth-to-person relationships, actions of responsibility towards democracy, and actions of progressing equality for women, BIPOC communities, and disenfranchised communities.”
