Ability Quote by Maya Angelou
“Hold those things that tell your history and protect them. During slavery, who was able to read or write or keep anything? The ability to have somebody to tell your story to is so important. It says: 'I was here. I may be sold tomorrow. But you know I was here.'”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Power of Storytelling, 1993
Preserving personal histories affirms existence and resists erasure.
In simple terms: Stories protect identity and memory.
Key Takeaway
Document and share personal narratives.
Themes
memory
identity
resistance
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
cultural
educational
When to use this quote
- family oral histories
- community archives
- educational curricula
- personal memoirs
Key Concepts
history
storytelling
Questions to Reflect On
- Whose stories are missing from history?
- How can you help preserve them?
A Different Perspective
Stories can be lost if not actively preserved.
![“I think history has less of an impact on current times than the stories that we tell ourselves about that history [do].” quote by Annie Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/414/annie-leonard-22395_currents_i-think-history-has-less-of-an-impact-on_1414936.jpg)
