"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." Perhaps you've heard Maya Angelou's quotes or read her poems and books. Maya Angelou was an extraordinary person who inspired many people. "The white man's happiness cannot be purchased by the black man's misery." Have you heard of Fredrick Douglass, a black man who escaped slavery and became leader of the abolitionist movement? Despite the different characteristics between Fredrick Douglass and Maya Angelou, there are many similar personal characteristics including being religious, being perseverant, and being principled.
The first similar characteristic between Maya Angelou and Fredrick Douglas is that both of them were religious. These two phenomenal people were both inspired by Christianity. During "A Night with Maya Angelou" at LSU Union Theater, Maya Angelou was asked whether spiritualism had inspired her and Maya replied that spiritualism had indeed inspired her over the years. The same goes for Fredrick Douglass who converted to Christianity at the age of 13. "I saw the world in a new light, and my great concern was to have everybody converted. My desire to learn increased, and especially, did I want a thorough acquaintance with the contents of the Bible." This quote was said by Fredrick Douglass after he converted, and it shows how after he converted he saw the world in a new light which inspired him to do the great things he did in his life. The second point is that both Maya Angelou and Fredrick cared about Church. Fredrick attended numerous churches in Washington and a church in New York was named after him. Maya was connected with the Unity Church and even planned to spend part of the year studying there. Lastly, they were religious because both of them participated in lectures and discussed religion in speeches. Fredrick Douglass mostly preached and gave lectures in many churches and Maya mostly discussed religion in speeches.
