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California
MARCH 1982
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I
Francine Oputa Talks AboutMaya
(Maya Comes to Fresno State)
Jackson Smith
Universality.
Thai's the word. That's what Maya
Angelou has.
Francine Oputa used the one-word description for the artist.
Angelou is the exact definition of artist.
She has been writer, poet, speaker, singer,
teacher, actress, stripper, television producer, politician, dancer, historian, editor, composer and prostitute.
Oputa, Radio/ Television graduate student, had the envious, yet pressure- packed
chore as Angelou's right-hand woman
during Angclou's February 4 Fresno State
visit. ,
Oputa feels that Angclou's universality
is the key to her command. No better
example of this command occurred when
a roaring standing ovation followed an
Angelou poem during her speech. A negative twist of Angelou's head did not get a
response; a lightening-quick downward
svipc of her right hand did. All were
quietly seated before Angelou completed
the motion. Oputa said. "I feel Ms. Angelou receives'such great respect because she
is pro-Black, but not anti-cveryone else."
This quality must be a direct result of
the time Angelou spent with Martin
Luther King. According to Dr. James
Roger. Angelou described King "...as a
lionsittingdownat my dining-room table
eating a plate of mustard greens..."
When quizzed on Angelou's "shcroc"
term. Oputa replied. "If I asked you who
your heroes were, would you mention any
women? Worse, we don't take care of
our shcrocs. She need only look to Billic
Holiday and Bessie Smith." (Both ladies
were talented Black singers who died
young.)
Angelou is class with a capital C. If you
think Angelou writes poetry well, watch
her stride and you will sec she walks poc-
\
try even better.
"Society places an intense burden on
artists," Oputa continued. "To make it as a
Black artist is to multiply that burden by
five. That is how much better Blacks have
to be just to be accepted."
With that against her. it is unconceivable to grasp how great Maya Angelou is.
According to Oputa. this leads us to
another key to Angclou's universality.
Although Angelou docs not consider herself a leader. "...She knows what she has
and does not abuse it," said Oputa.
To relay an example. Oputa describes
the scene as she and Michclc Davis met
Angelou at the airport. "We knew who she
was. Wcc\cn knew her intimately because
we had read and witnessed her work. We
were prepared, right? Wrong.
"Michclc and I immediately stood at
attention as Ms. Angelou entered the
room. Michclc dropped her camera. My
jaw followed it to the floor. All heads in
the terminal turned to Ms. Angelou with
that 'She must be somebody* look in their
eyes.
"Then another part of her universality
took over. When I explained why we were
there, she answered. 'That is so nice.' It
was like picking up your mother. I felt
close to a person I didn't kWw."
Oputa changed the subject. "Ms. Angelou was honored to be the first speaker of
African Peoples History Month, but she is
embarrassed that the celebration is neccs-
sai>
Angelou leli Oputa with advice and a
request. Oputa will be going to Nigeria
later in the year to meet hfr tn»laus with-
<but her husband." Ms. Angelou agreed i
I take my mother. Ms. Angelou said mom
would feel at home in Ghana and I would
be known as someone's daughter and not.
' I hat girl from the United States.*"
The request? "Please write me."
Object Description
| Title | 1982_03 The Daily Collegian March 1982 |
| Alternative Title | Daily Collegian (California State University, Fresno) |
| Publisher | Associated Students of Fresno State, Fresno, Calif. |
| Publication Date | 1982 |
| Description | Daily (except weedends) during the school year. Microfilm. Palo Alto, Calif.: BMI Library Microfilms, 1986- microfilm reels; 35 mm. Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- |
| Subject | California State University, Fresno -- Periodicals. |
| Contributors | Associated Students of Fresno State. |
| Coverage | Vol.1 no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- to present |
| Format | Microfilm reels, 35 mm. |
| Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 "E-image data" |
| Language | eng |
Description
| Title | March 1, 1982 Uhuru Pg 1 |
| Alternative Title | Daily Collegian (California State University, Fresno) |
| Publisher | Associated Students of Fresno State, Fresno, Calif. |
| Publication Date | 1982 |
| Description | Daily (except weedends) during the school year. Microfilm. Palo Alto, Calif.: BMI Library Microfilms, 1986- microfilm reels; 35 mm. Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- |
| Subject | California State University, Fresno -- Periodicals. |
| Contributors | Associated Students of Fresno State. |
| Coverage | Vol.1 no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- to present |
| Format | Microfilm reels, 35 mm. |
| Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 "E-image data" |
| Language | eng |
| Full-Text-Search |
k«:
ft,
i
•; »
t
0 *
fitt
•
i
California
MARCH 1982
»
I
Francine Oputa Talks AboutMaya
(Maya Comes to Fresno State)
Jackson Smith
Universality.
Thai's the word. That's what Maya
Angelou has.
Francine Oputa used the one-word description for the artist.
Angelou is the exact definition of artist.
She has been writer, poet, speaker, singer,
teacher, actress, stripper, television producer, politician, dancer, historian, editor, composer and prostitute.
Oputa, Radio/ Television graduate student, had the envious, yet pressure- packed
chore as Angelou's right-hand woman
during Angclou's February 4 Fresno State
visit. ,
Oputa feels that Angclou's universality
is the key to her command. No better
example of this command occurred when
a roaring standing ovation followed an
Angelou poem during her speech. A negative twist of Angelou's head did not get a
response; a lightening-quick downward
svipc of her right hand did. All were
quietly seated before Angelou completed
the motion. Oputa said. "I feel Ms. Angelou receives'such great respect because she
is pro-Black, but not anti-cveryone else."
This quality must be a direct result of
the time Angelou spent with Martin
Luther King. According to Dr. James
Roger. Angelou described King "...as a
lionsittingdownat my dining-room table
eating a plate of mustard greens..."
When quizzed on Angelou's "shcroc"
term. Oputa replied. "If I asked you who
your heroes were, would you mention any
women? Worse, we don't take care of
our shcrocs. She need only look to Billic
Holiday and Bessie Smith." (Both ladies
were talented Black singers who died
young.)
Angelou is class with a capital C. If you
think Angelou writes poetry well, watch
her stride and you will sec she walks poc-
\
try even better.
"Society places an intense burden on
artists," Oputa continued. "To make it as a
Black artist is to multiply that burden by
five. That is how much better Blacks have
to be just to be accepted."
With that against her. it is unconceivable to grasp how great Maya Angelou is.
According to Oputa. this leads us to
another key to Angclou's universality.
Although Angelou docs not consider herself a leader. "...She knows what she has
and does not abuse it," said Oputa.
To relay an example. Oputa describes
the scene as she and Michclc Davis met
Angelou at the airport. "We knew who she
was. Wcc\cn knew her intimately because
we had read and witnessed her work. We
were prepared, right? Wrong.
"Michclc and I immediately stood at
attention as Ms. Angelou entered the
room. Michclc dropped her camera. My
jaw followed it to the floor. All heads in
the terminal turned to Ms. Angelou with
that 'She must be somebody* look in their
eyes.
"Then another part of her universality
took over. When I explained why we were
there, she answered. 'That is so nice.' It
was like picking up your mother. I felt
close to a person I didn't kWw."
Oputa changed the subject. "Ms. Angelou was honored to be the first speaker of
African Peoples History Month, but she is
embarrassed that the celebration is neccs-
sai>
Angelou leli Oputa with advice and a
request. Oputa will be going to Nigeria
later in the year to meet hfr tn»laus with-
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