Dear Friends,
March is Women’s History Month, and to celebrate, each week I will be sharing the story of Arkansas women who shaped our state and nation in powerful ways. It is important to tell these stories that too often have been forgotten or overlooked by history. Teaching our children about these important leaders will help inspire the next generation of Arkansas women to change the world.
This week, we recognize Maya Angelou, who spent most of her formative years in the small town of Stamps, Arkansas. Her autobiography about her years in Stamps, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, became a national best-seller and propelled her overnight to international fame. She went on to write many more best-sellers on her journey to becoming an inspirational civil rights leader.
From her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, to reading one of her poems at President Bill Clinton's inauguration; Maya Angelou has served as an example of how to find strength amidst tremendous hardship, and make something beautiful out of the most humble of circumstances. As a child growing up, she experienced trauma and abuse that led her to stop speaking. But through her perseverance and struggle for equality, she found her voice.
A few weeks before her death, when she was forced to cancel an appearance at a Fayetteville public library because of her deteriorating health, Maya Angelou said:
"I long to come to the state of Arkansas, in general, and I long to be in Fayetteville, in particular. I learned in Arkansas at a very young age from my grandmother who taught me, ‘when you learn, teach and when you get, give’. In Arkansas I also learned not to complain. I was taught that there are people all over the world who have less than I have and who would give anything for a portion of my possessions. They went to sleep last night as I went to sleep and they never awakened. Their beds have become their cooling boards and their blankets have become their winding sheets and they would give anything and everything for what I was complaining about. In Arkansas, I learned to trust love, not the romance of it, but the heart of it. In Arkansas I learned to have respect for friendship, to honor it, to trust it and to build it."
Maya Angelou's legacy of giving a voice to the powerless will forever echo throughout small towns in Arkansas and all over the world.
Sincerely,
Representative French Hill
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Remember five to save a life
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| Teaming Up With Veterans of Foreign Wars to Combat Suicide |
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This week, the president signed an executive order aimed at addressing the tragedy of veteran suicide, which claims the lives of 20 veterans every day in our country. This is unacceptable, and as a nation, we need to work harder to support our veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.
Something that we can all do is check in on our loved ones and be aware of the five signs of emotional suffering. This past week, I met with a group from Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) who are building a strong community of support for our Arkansas veterans. In the picture below, we are holding up our hands to represent the five signs of emotional suffering:
1) Personality change
2) Uncharacteristically angry, anxious, agitated, or moody
3) Withdrawal or isolation from other people
4) May neglect self-care and engage in risky behavior
5) Overcome with hopelessness and overwhelmed by circumstances
If you or a loved one are in crisis, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, text to 838255, or chat online HERE 24/7/365.
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Reading Can Have a Profound Impact |
Thank you to Cornerstone Schools of Washington D.C. for allowing me to celebrate National Reading Month with your amazing students. They are developing a lifelong passion for reading that creates a strong foundation for academic success. In honor of National Reading Month, I strongly encourage parents and grandparents to take some time to read each night with your child or grandchild.
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Thank you for taking time to keep up with the work I'm doing on your behalf. If I can be of any assistance to you or your family, please reach out to my office at (501) 324-5941 or Hill.House.Gov.
To keep up with my day-to-day meetings and events, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
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