I thought I'd share the two scripts that the girls prepared for their African-American Statues last Friday.
Maya Angelou by M F
Good morning. My name is Marguerite Annie Johnson, otherwise known as Maya Angelou. I am famous for my books and poems. I was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. I was sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with my grandmother when I was three, because my parents divorced. My brother Bailey gave me the name “Maya” when I was little. I went to public schools in Arkansas, and later attended a high school in California. I dropped out of high school, and to make money, I became the first female African-American streetcar conductor in San Francisco.
In my professional life, I studied dance and drama, and I performed in several plays on and off-Broadway. I also mastered French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, and the West-African language, Fante.
My first book and memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, is about my life up to age 16, written from a child’s perspective about the confusing world of adults. All of my books have the same theme: celebrating the differences in America, but also the seriousness of equality.
I was selected by President Bill Clinton to recite one of my newly-written poems at his inauguration in 1993. I delivered the poem “On the Pulse of Morning” which was the second poem ever to be presented at an inauguration. The next year, the recording of my poem won a Grammy award.
In early April, I will be turning 86! Wow! Time goes by really fast!
Gabby Douglas by A F
Hi! I’m Gabby Doublas, which is short for Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas. I was born on December 31, 1995. I am eighteen years old. I was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia. When I was very little, I moved to Texas, and then I moved to Iowa to start training in gymnastics. I am the youngest of four kids. There is me, my sister Arielle, my brother Johnathan, and my other sister Joyelle.
I am famous for being a gymnastics world champion. I taught myself how to do a perfect straight cartwheel when I was three years old, and then I taught myself how to do a perfect one-handed cartwheel when I was four. I started serious gymnastics training when I was six. I won a state championship in gymnastics when I was only eight. When I was fourteen, I moved to Iowa to start training even harder. Since my mom couldn’t move to Iowa with me, a nice family let me live with them while I trained. Their names were Travis and Missy.
I competed in my first National Competition in 2010 and I placed 4th all-around. Later that year, I placed fifth in the U.S. Junior National Championships. In 2012, I won the Olympic Trials, which meant that I could be on the U.S. team in the 2012 London Summer Olympics. I was the only gymnast who was guaranteed a spot on the Olympic team because of my record-breaking score in the trials. I was the first African-American to make the team since 2000.
In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, I won the team gold medal with my teammates Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross, Jordyn Weiber, and McKayla Maroney. My coach, Liang Chow, has given me the nickname “The Flying Squirrel” because of my great skills in jumping, especially on the uneven bars and the balance beam. Those are both events in gymnastics. I also placed first (gold) in the all-around events, which made me the first African-American to do so.
When I am not training, I enjoy knitting and reading. I am also home-schooled. English is my favorite subject.
Since I am only eighteen, I want to keep training and I look forward to the next summer Olympics in two years!
