“Life really does begin at forty. Up until then, you’re just doing research.”
- Carl Jung
I read a blog post written by a woman who was feeling discouraged because at the age of forty-plus she felt as though she was just beginning her journey toward the life she had imagined herself living in her twenties and thirties. She saw herself as a late-starter. Commenters were offering their own stories of "feeling behind" in life. I remembered reading a magazine article a few years ago about many well-known men and women who had their big breaks well into their adulthood, many in midlife and beyond. The writer of the post was a black woman writing for black women. The commenters, too, were mostly women of color. As I thought about some of my friends and acquaintances who have expressed similar sentiments, I wondered if this is a thing among black womem. So I decided to compile my own (wo)manifest of inspiring examples of women blooming at just the right time.
In honor of Black History and Women’s History months, here are ten well-known, well-respected African-American women who prove the quote above to be true. Though we can and should look to these women for encouragement and fuel for the pursuit of our own victory stories, we must also look to the women in our everyday lives who can inspire us to use our gifts, talents and passions.
Maya Angelou, at age 41 years old, published her seminal memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings. Who can say that Maya Angelou is best known for any one genre of writing. After
Caged Bird, she went on to write seven more volumes of her life story, volumes of poetry,
screenplays, plays, essays, cookbooks, children’s book, speeches and so much more. Before
her prolific writing career, Ms. Angelou had been a streetcar driver, singer, dancer, Civil Rights activist, spoken-word artist, and teacher among other careers that shaped her life, her
storytelling and her writing. She was an all-around Renaissance woman, if that’s a thing.
Toni Morrison, age 39, published her first novel The Bluest Eye, yet it was
not until she was 46 years old that she published her third novel and first well-known work of fiction, Song of Solomon. Ms. Morrison
went on to be named a winner of the Nobel Prize and the Pulitzer Prize for
Beloved, probably her best known book. She has authored books for
children, the text of an opera known as the libretto, essays and other works
of nonfiction. She is a teacher, editor and outspoken advocate for feminine, racial and social justice especially in regard to literary freedoms to tell one's stories.
Amy Sherald, in 2016, at the age of 43, was the first woman to win the Outwin
Boochever Portrait Competition grand prize. Before this she was a working
artist yet virtually unknown. She now has works on display at the National
Museum of Women in Arts. Being named as the painter for the official portrait
of Michelle Obama further propelled this talented artist who seeks to “paint
the paintings I want to see in museums” into the public eye. Her painting of the first African-American FLOTUS hangs in the National Portrait Gallery and has garnered over a
million visitors in person, and millions more through the internet- a record number of attendees for
the museum. I would say, Ms. Sherald has arrived. I cannot wait to see where she will go next!
Viola Davis was set up for success with training at Juilliard and a career on
stage and in a few little known screen productions. It was not until her
co-starring role in the movie Doubt with Meryl Streep, at 43 years old, that
Viola’s career took off. The critically-acclaimed, award winning, South
Carolina-born actress (you knew I had to get that in there) was the first
African-American actress to win a Tony, an Emmy and an Oscar. She stars in the
television drama, How to Get Away with Murder, and is an activist for the honor,
respect and rights of all women.
Sharon Jones, soul singer and the Queen of Funk, did not have her big break-
after having given up on the possibilities of having a career in music- until 1996,
at the tender age of 40 years old. She is sometimes referred to as the female
James Brown because of her soulful sound and amazing stage presence and
dance moves. The longtime South Carolina resident died in 2016 at the age of
60. I am so grateful she lived out her dream of being a professional entertainer for almost 20 years and that we have soul-filling music and a Netflix documentary through which to get to know and to remember her.
- Carl Jung
I read a blog post written by a woman who was feeling discouraged because at the age of forty-plus she felt as though she was just beginning her journey toward the life she had imagined herself living in her twenties and thirties. She saw herself as a late-starter. Commenters were offering their own stories of "feeling behind" in life. I remembered reading a magazine article a few years ago about many well-known men and women who had their big breaks well into their adulthood, many in midlife and beyond. The writer of the post was a black woman writing for black women. The commenters, too, were mostly women of color. As I thought about some of my friends and acquaintances who have expressed similar sentiments, I wondered if this is a thing among black womem. So I decided to compile my own (wo)manifest of inspiring examples of women blooming at just the right time.
In honor of Black History and Women’s History months, here are ten well-known, well-respected African-American women who prove the quote above to be true. Though we can and should look to these women for encouragement and fuel for the pursuit of our own victory stories, we must also look to the women in our everyday lives who can inspire us to use our gifts, talents and passions.
Apparently, age ain't really nothing but number. As my grandmother used to say, you're only as old as you feel. It looks to me these women might be feeling like they are at the start of something new.
Andrea
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