Celebrating the Birthday of a “Phenomenal Woman”

In the spacious, light-filled Great Hall at the Clinton Presidential Library today, a crowd of supporters and admirers celebrated the late poet, author, and activist Maya Angelou at a luncheon to commemorate her 90th birthday which was April 4th. Birdcages adorned the tables in a nod to Angelou’s critically acclaimed classic, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” which recounts the childhood years she spent living with her grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas during the Jim Crow era.

“We decided she would not be happy with us if we did not help the young people,” said Janis Kearney, one of the founders of the Celebrate! Maya Project, the luncheon sponsor. The Celebrate! Maya Project began in 2014 following the famous poet’s death. The project works with high school students around the state and offers opportunities to “honor and promote the inclusive literacy, creativity, and the social consciousness” embodied by Angelou. Students from the Marvell-Elaine School District attended today’s luncheon and were recognized for their involvement in the project’s outreach.

“America owes Maya Angelou a great debt for keeping us looking toward the morning, and it’s my honor to join you all in paying tribute to her life and legacy on this milestone,” wrote President Bill Clinton in a letter included in the luncheon program. One of Angelou’s most well-known poems “On the Pulse of Morning” debuted at former President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993.

Filmmaker Rita Coburn-Whack  energized her keynote address with anecdotes from the years she spent working with Angelou for a radio program broadcast produced for Oprah, who called Angelou her mentor-mother-sister-friend.

Coburn-Whack recalled, “She cooked and not only did she cook, but she had a gun under her pillow.” But, the Chicago native turned serious as she told the backstory of the multiple award-winning documentary she produced and directed, “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise.” She spoke of the hours spent researching Angelou’s life and interviewing people who knew her at different stages.

“As Black women, we have done a lot of work in this world, and I stand on the shoulders of Maya Angelou,” said Coburn-Whack. Earlier this week the documentary “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” received a prestigious Peabody Award. Coburn-Whack emphasized that Angelou “came from the tradition of keep going” despite the hardships.

For more information on the Celebrate! Maya Project, visit www.celebratemayaproject.org