Maya Angelou passed away at age 86 in 2014. But if you had ever been given the opportunity to greet her, what would you have said? Option A: Hello, Ms. Angelouor Option B: Hello, Maya.
Well, according the late, great civil rights activist and poet, that should have been Ms. Angelou to you.
We have this answer thanks to a video that resurfaced over the weekend. In the clip, which according to Newsweek is from approximately 1990, a 14-year-old girl raises a question for Angelou about interracial dating. It seems innocent enough—until the girl addresses her as "Maya."
The video, first shared by @PrinceCharmingP, now boasts over 2.6 million views—and it sparked differing reactions from people around the internet.
In one camp, users like @PrinceCharmingP defended Angelou, explaining that she wasn’t disrespecting the girl, but rather making it clear how she prefers to be addressed. People also argued that a celebrated figure as accomplished as Angelou has every right to do so.
Other fans, however, found the clip to be rude, pointing out that they felt badly for the girl who was called out on national television.
— Teeks ✨ (@TikiBrown) March 15, 2019
Maya Angelou did NOT have to READ this innocent girl down on national TV like that 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/S9ILNYbCZY
— Derek (@Doogi_) March 15, 2019
Regardless of what’s appropriate, Angelou later apologized during the segment, explaining what went through her mind. “Let me say, to Kim, I apologize for being so short. I apologize," she said. "I’m not usually so short. It just caught me off guard. I saw you at 14, I thought, oh, well...but I apologize."
Later in the video, Maya Angelou apologized to the young girl for being short with her so everyone calling people “sensitive” for noticing the disrespect in her initial response can relax lol pic.twitter.com/fScII5YQvS
— kae (@sportyidk) March 15, 2019
The conversation also raised debate about whether all youths should always address their elders by "Mr." or "Ms." with their last name. Even here at OprahMag.com headquarters, we were split on the topic: While growing up, several of us only ever called adults by Mr. or Ms. and last name, a few of us were raised that it's okay to call adults by their first names, as long as they're friends, family, or acquaintances.
Still, even with all of our various upbringings, we all agreed on one thing when it came to Maya Angelou: There's only one proper way to have addressed the icon, and that's Ms. Angelou.
Give us your thoughts in the comments below!