All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes

In 1962 the poet, musician, and performer Maya Angelou claimed another piece of her identity by moving to Ghana, joining a community of “Revolutionist Returnees” inspired by the promise of pan-Africanism. *All God’s Children Need Walking Shoes* is her lyrical and acutely perceptive exploration of what it means to be an African American on the mother continent, where color no longer matters but where American-ness keeps asserting itself in ways both puzzling and heartbreaking. As it builds on the personal narrative of *I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings* and *Gather Together in My Name* , this book confirms Maya Angelou’s stature as one of the most gifted autobiographers of our time.