Chasing Courage By Maya Angelou: One Of The Best Explanation Of Courage

One of the best explanations of courage is the following by Maya Angelou: “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtues with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” Her explanation summarizes all that courage can lead you to who you are in life. Courage is standing up for what you believe in, despite disapproval, pain, fear, uncertainty, or intimidation. Courage is challenging what is normal. Courage is giving voice to those who cannot speak for themselves. Courage is using whatever power available to educate the world about injustice. Courage is following your heart even when the path is not known. Courage is trying after failing.

Anthony both portray courage when they speak up for people who don’t have power, even though they are afraid, and even though others disapprove of them. Harriet Tubman risked her life to help free enslaved African-Americans. Susan B. Anthony did the same by seeking women’s equality and improvement in the lives of families when she advocated for temperance. Susan notes how unusual it was for women to not only speak in public, but to challenge the establishment. She says, “…alongside Amelia Bloomer and Antoinette Brown, raising our voices on temperance and the rights of women. We were viewed as curiosity- women who dared speak in public!” Harriet conveys that taking actions to free slaves was dangerous, but she did it because her convictions required her to be true to herself: “I spent most of the night knee deep in a swamp, shivering in the dark until it was time to move my party to the next station.” Harriet had very strong beliefs, and she stood up for them, no matter what it took. A last example is, “I hid at the home until arrangements were made and the party of eleven could be on the move to Canada and freedom. By this time, I was fully committed to serve as a conductor to the Underground Railroad.” This quote shows how she was able to stand up for people who don’t have power when she had courage. In the book Chasing Freedom, Susan and Harriet portray courage by speaking up when it was rare to do so, standing up for people who don’t have power, and doing no matter what it took to follow their