Human Family ~ A Poem by Maya Angelou
I note the obvious differences
in the human family.
Some of us are serious,
some thrive on comedy.
I note the obvious differences
in the human family.
Some of us are serious,
some thrive on comedy.
Some declare their lives are lived
as true profundity,
and others claim they really live
the real reality.
The variety of our skin tones
can confuse, bemuse, delight,
brown and pink and beige and purple,
tan and blue and white.
I’ve sailed upon the seven seas
and stopped in every land,
I’ve seen the wonders of the world
not yet one common man.
I know ten thousand women
called Jane and Mary Jane,
but I’ve not seen any two
who really were the same.
Mirror twins are different
although their features jibe,
and lovers think quite different thoughts
while lying side by side.
We love and lose in China,
we weep on England’s moors,
and laugh and moan in Guinea,
and thrive on Spanish shores.
We seek success in Finland,
are born and die in Maine.
In minor ways we differ,
in major we’re the same.
I note the obvious differences
between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.
We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.
We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.
Million Girl Army’s curriculum is designed to show the girls the contrast between their lives and the lives of girls in developing countries. But more importantly, it’s also designed to show things they have in common with other girls, ways they resemble girls on the other side of the world. This helps them build connections and understanding. We talk through questions like, “What do you want and desire that girls in other countries also want and desire? What is universal for us as women? What is globally similar?”
In the end, while the differences in lifestyles are apparent, the learn that deep down, all girls want the same things. To feel safe, healthy, loved, and accepted. Learning they share similarities connects the girls, learning the differences moves them to help, turning them into globally compassionate teens in the process.
