Dear Dr. Maya Angelou,

I am writing to you because you are a phenomenal woman in everyway, and, because of your poem, I know I am too.

I'm not sure what day it was when I knew it, but I know it was a bright one. Sixth grade, sitting in Mr. Colon's class, he had no book, no article clipping, nothing written down; it was written on the inside. And he went off, switching his hips, pursing his lips, showing all the class, what a phenomenal woman was, all the while reciting the poem. Looking back on it, I know that it wasn't even the show that he put on that made him a phenomenal “person”, but it was the fact that he believed he was. It was the presence of self-respect that he gave off.

I remember thinking about all those models, all those Barbie® dolls, store window mannequins, and the “beautiful people” and wondering, “If they can all be thing and beautiful, what's wrong with me?” Your poem showed me what beautiful really meant; it's not always about being thin with a perfect complexion, even if most people think it is. I know that I am beautiful and wonderful, and that if someone can't see that, if someone wants me to change to fit their blond-haired, blue-eyed dream, then they're a waste of my time. Even Marilyn Monroe wore a size 12, and if Barbie were a real woman, she'd have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.

I don't understand. Why is it that we live in such a hostile environment for women? With the crazy high “goals” for women's physical appearance that we've set, more and more girls are forming eating disorders; 1 out of every 4 college age women has an eating disorder. If you ask me, when an African American looks in the mirror and does not see a beautiful shade of brown given as a gift from God, but only the need to look lighter, there is something wrong with the environment that the individual lives in.

But, Dr. Angelou, I'm getting off track. What I really wanted to write was how much your poem changed me, how much it made me smile, and realize that I am perfect just the way I am, because all (and women!) are created equal and in the image of God. God gave me the skin that I'm in, and I intend enjoy it. When I read your poem, it makes me not care anymore that I don't fit in the blond-haired, blue-eyed ideal, because I am a phenomenal woman. It doesn't matter anymore what other people think about me, because I am a phenomenal woman.

To wrap it all up, Dr. Angelou, your words have inspired me in ways that many other words have not. It is comforting to know that there is someone else who truly believes that beauty is way more than skin deep. Now I know that we are all, phenomenal women.

Sincerely,
Ashanti Hubbs