The Summit Academy Students Learn the Impactful Legacy of Maya Angelou
Last month students attended “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” at the Hazlett Theater Center for Performing Arts. The regional premiere adaptation brings to life Maya Angelou’s landmark memoir that chronicles her journey of finding her voice, rising above the challenges of growing up black and female in the South during the 1930’s and learning to use her identity as a source of strength.
Prior to the performance, the young men of Summit Academy were privileged to attend a reception for Maya Angelou’s grandson, Mr. Elliot Jones, and great-granddaughter, Caylin Johnson. Mr. Jones is the Director of Community Engagement at the Maya Angelou Foundation. He was truly generous with his time and attention to the students as he spoke with each of them, inquiring about their backgrounds and their aspirations for the future. Ultimately, he shared with them the beauty of his grandmother’s story and the promise that good can result from any situation, including tragedy. He also reminded the boys that adversity can do more to develop character and should never be used to hold them back from achieving their potential.
Some of the comments from Summit Academy Students were "Thank you so much for letting me experience something new. I can say that it was the most interesting play that I have ever seen" - Elijah
I hope that I can see more plays while I am at Summit Academy. It helps make treatment more worthwhile and reminds me there are things worth getting treatment for " - Lex
