You are loved in death as well as in life. May your spirit have final peace.
Matt Williams
I had the privilege of taking Dr. Angelou’s course while I was a student at Wake Forest. I found myself transformed by the stories and experiences she shared and will be forever grateful for the wisdom she so carefully and unselfishly poured into us. There were countless moments that I will cherish, but the theme of the course, “I am a human being, nothing human will be alien to me” is something I carry with me daily. Thank you Dr. Angelou for encouraging me and motivating me to be the best me that I could possibly be.
Ja’Net
A true inspiration to me. I will pass it along and hope that others will continue your legacy.
Lasheba Mccullough
Some people are called… Some are called for greatness!
God knew exactly what he was doing when he created you. A woman of grace, creativity, and a woman of God. You are a LEADER through your words. You have encouraged others without even knowing them… their situation… or seen their face.
I thank you for leaving your irreplaceable footsteps in the sand for people to see. You will forever be a Legend.
Ellen Wright
She was a great human being and I will forever miss her voice and wisdom.
Lisa O’Brien Wood
I remember being so excited when I got into Dr. Anglelou’s class during the crazy registration process we had back when I was a senior. She did not disappoint!
It was a small intimate group of students….about 14 in total. Most of our classes were held in her lovely home near campus. She fed us… she took us to her church…. she read poetry… she told stories… she talked about our humanity… she gave me a lot to think about as I left school and ventured into my own life.
She was a powerful presence… her voice was like no one else’s I have ever heard.
She taught me to always try to see the good… look for the humanity in every person.
She taught me that we are all so much more alike than we are different….
So sad that others will not have the chance I had to spend time in her presence… I feel privileged.
Craig Martin, ’91, ’95, ’99
Wouldn’t you give anything to be There now, listening to Dr. Angelou and Flannery and others sharing joy, and watching everything that rises converge? So grateful for everything that Wake Forest inspires!
Nancy Gravley Martin
A great loss to those who consider her family, Wake Forest University, and the world.
Lanora Perkins
God has you! Go and get your wings now, you’re free! You can breathe and move like you want too. You are able to meet your maker in Heaven. God has a task for you to do for him there now that you have done your task her on earth. You were rewarded along time ago it was just not your time yet until he calls upon you. Now that your time has come you are asked to something else more in Heaven, something special, something more beautiful and so remarkable you can’t believe your eyes of what you capable of doing now than when you were here. he a waited for you. He needed you. So I say again go and get your wings & be free! You are free! You …my Angelou is free!
Clyde W. Glosson
Her voice! Who will ever forget the rising and falling of her voice. She just filled the room, the stadium or wherever she was . Her presence just surrounded you with her wisdom.
She will be greatly missed by all. One great human being and I just know she is on the front row in the Great Angelic choir lifting her voice in soaring melodies that even our great GOD pauses and listens.
Beth Shedd
A lifetime that truly mattered. A legacy forever. You touched me deeply with your words and your beliefs. Thank you for the inspiration and truth you shared.
J. Neal Isaac, Ph.D.
Thank you for representing Wake Forest in such a unique and powerful manner. As I often brag about my Alma Mater, I have always included you in the conversation. You made me proud, because you spoke the old truths in new and provocative ways, yet always with eloquence and poignancy. I believe it is a human need to feel we matter, you certainly did.
James Watson
GREAT is an apt word to describe this wonderful woman who graced and inspired our lives and our world, and a word equally suitable to Wake Forest — the sterling university that lent its broad reach to her words and to her exemplary life.
Leslie K. Bruton
Earth has no sorrow that heaven can not heal…the angels are rejoicing for your return home…you will forever be in our hearts. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your obedience. Thank you!
Marsha Sheridan Romano
As an admirer of Dr. Angelou I often thought of her on the Wake Forest campus. I graduated almost 50 years ago and when I arrived on campus (coming from an integrated school in Washington DC) I realized there were only two black students attending Wake Forest: an international student from Africa and a young lady from New Jersey. Time changes so many things and it always brought a smile to my face to think of Dr. Angelou bringing her very special insights to my dear college campus.
Joe Santi
There are some people who take over a room when they enter a room. I recall being on the main stage at WFU rehearsing a play. Maya Angelou entered from the back of the audience, unseen from the stage, but somehow all attention was drawn to her and the rehearsal stopped. Big room. Bigger person.
Laura Wilson Phelan
I was privileged to take Dr. Angelou’s class while I was a student at Wake Forest where we were expected to dive deeply into her 50 favorite poems and put on a performance of them that she directed. No, not intimidating at all to perform poetry in front of Maya Angelou! I’ll never forget two things she taught me. The first I learned while sitting at freshman convocation where she stepped to the microphone and started her speech about our limitless possibility by singing a song. We nervous, self-conscious and awkward freshman, most of whom did not appreciate this woman’s history and talent, sat transfixed as she sang. A pin could’ve dropped in that hall. Today, over 20 years later, I remember distinctly thinking at that moment, “I want to be like her. I never want to be scared to be my beautiful self.” She reinforced this lesson in the way she taught. She did not accept for an instant anyone who spoke in front her with a small voice. In front of all of us in the class she would demand that that student restate and restate her lines until she said them with poise, meaning and confidence. When I became a teacher, I taught with the same approach of tough love that she did, never accepting anything less than 100% of my students’ beautiful selves. The second stark memory comes from a story she shared with us. She was attending some sort of Hollywood awards show and walking down the red carpet with the cameras flashing, feeling bold and so high on her self-importance, when, from among the crowd of on-lookers, she heard a boy exclaim, “That’s my teacher!” That phrase brought her back down to earth, and she thought, “Yes, I am a teacher. That is what I am, and there is no higher privilege than that.” For all of us to aspire to impact beyond ourselves, here’s to an amazing woman who did. May we all strive to be our unapologetic beautiful selves in all that we do and support our teachers.
Susan W Duralde
Dr. Angelou joined WFU after I left. As an admirer of her work, it made me proud that she was a part of the Wake family.
Torri Staton
Inspirational. Loving. Godly.
Heaven rejoices today for the angel they gained.
Barbara Boone
Unfortunately for me, I never met Dr. Angelou in person, but I have read her works and admired her since I was a teenager. Her grace, wisdom and knowledge touched me every time I saw her in the media. I along with millions of others will miss you greatly, so thank you for leaving so much of your gifts for the world to continue to wrap our hearts, spirits and intellect around. The Prince of Peace welcomes you.
You are loved in death as well as in life. May your spirit have final peace.
I had the privilege of taking Dr. Angelou’s course while I was a student at Wake Forest. I found myself transformed by the stories and experiences she shared and will be forever grateful for the wisdom she so carefully and unselfishly poured into us. There were countless moments that I will cherish, but the theme of the course, “I am a human being, nothing human will be alien to me” is something I carry with me daily. Thank you Dr. Angelou for encouraging me and motivating me to be the best me that I could possibly be.
A true inspiration to me. I will pass it along and hope that others will continue your legacy.
Some people are called… Some are called for greatness!
God knew exactly what he was doing when he created you. A woman of grace, creativity, and a woman of God. You are a LEADER through your words. You have encouraged others without even knowing them… their situation… or seen their face.
I thank you for leaving your irreplaceable footsteps in the sand for people to see. You will forever be a Legend.
She was a great human being and I will forever miss her voice and wisdom.
I remember being so excited when I got into Dr. Anglelou’s class during the crazy registration process we had back when I was a senior. She did not disappoint!
It was a small intimate group of students….about 14 in total. Most of our classes were held in her lovely home near campus. She fed us… she took us to her church…. she read poetry… she told stories… she talked about our humanity… she gave me a lot to think about as I left school and ventured into my own life.
She was a powerful presence… her voice was like no one else’s I have ever heard.
She taught me to always try to see the good… look for the humanity in every person.
She taught me that we are all so much more alike than we are different….
So sad that others will not have the chance I had to spend time in her presence… I feel privileged.
Wouldn’t you give anything to be There now, listening to Dr. Angelou and Flannery and others sharing joy, and watching everything that rises converge? So grateful for everything that Wake Forest inspires!
A great loss to those who consider her family, Wake Forest University, and the world.
God has you! Go and get your wings now, you’re free! You can breathe and move like you want too. You are able to meet your maker in Heaven. God has a task for you to do for him there now that you have done your task her on earth. You were rewarded along time ago it was just not your time yet until he calls upon you. Now that your time has come you are asked to something else more in Heaven, something special, something more beautiful and so remarkable you can’t believe your eyes of what you capable of doing now than when you were here. he a waited for you. He needed you. So I say again go and get your wings & be free! You are free! You …my Angelou is free!
Her voice! Who will ever forget the rising and falling of her voice. She just filled the room, the stadium or wherever she was . Her presence just surrounded you with her wisdom.
She will be greatly missed by all. One great human being and I just know she is on the front row in the Great Angelic choir lifting her voice in soaring melodies that even our great GOD pauses and listens.
A lifetime that truly mattered. A legacy forever. You touched me deeply with your words and your beliefs. Thank you for the inspiration and truth you shared.
Thank you for representing Wake Forest in such a unique and powerful manner. As I often brag about my Alma Mater, I have always included you in the conversation. You made me proud, because you spoke the old truths in new and provocative ways, yet always with eloquence and poignancy. I believe it is a human need to feel we matter, you certainly did.
GREAT is an apt word to describe this wonderful woman who graced and inspired our lives and our world, and a word equally suitable to Wake Forest — the sterling university that lent its broad reach to her words and to her exemplary life.
Earth has no sorrow that heaven can not heal…the angels are rejoicing for your return home…you will forever be in our hearts. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your obedience. Thank you!
As an admirer of Dr. Angelou I often thought of her on the Wake Forest campus. I graduated almost 50 years ago and when I arrived on campus (coming from an integrated school in Washington DC) I realized there were only two black students attending Wake Forest: an international student from Africa and a young lady from New Jersey. Time changes so many things and it always brought a smile to my face to think of Dr. Angelou bringing her very special insights to my dear college campus.
There are some people who take over a room when they enter a room. I recall being on the main stage at WFU rehearsing a play. Maya Angelou entered from the back of the audience, unseen from the stage, but somehow all attention was drawn to her and the rehearsal stopped. Big room. Bigger person.
I was privileged to take Dr. Angelou’s class while I was a student at Wake Forest where we were expected to dive deeply into her 50 favorite poems and put on a performance of them that she directed. No, not intimidating at all to perform poetry in front of Maya Angelou! I’ll never forget two things she taught me. The first I learned while sitting at freshman convocation where she stepped to the microphone and started her speech about our limitless possibility by singing a song. We nervous, self-conscious and awkward freshman, most of whom did not appreciate this woman’s history and talent, sat transfixed as she sang. A pin could’ve dropped in that hall. Today, over 20 years later, I remember distinctly thinking at that moment, “I want to be like her. I never want to be scared to be my beautiful self.” She reinforced this lesson in the way she taught. She did not accept for an instant anyone who spoke in front her with a small voice. In front of all of us in the class she would demand that that student restate and restate her lines until she said them with poise, meaning and confidence. When I became a teacher, I taught with the same approach of tough love that she did, never accepting anything less than 100% of my students’ beautiful selves. The second stark memory comes from a story she shared with us. She was attending some sort of Hollywood awards show and walking down the red carpet with the cameras flashing, feeling bold and so high on her self-importance, when, from among the crowd of on-lookers, she heard a boy exclaim, “That’s my teacher!” That phrase brought her back down to earth, and she thought, “Yes, I am a teacher. That is what I am, and there is no higher privilege than that.” For all of us to aspire to impact beyond ourselves, here’s to an amazing woman who did. May we all strive to be our unapologetic beautiful selves in all that we do and support our teachers.
Dr. Angelou joined WFU after I left. As an admirer of her work, it made me proud that she was a part of the Wake family.
Inspirational. Loving. Godly.
Heaven rejoices today for the angel they gained.
Unfortunately for me, I never met Dr. Angelou in person, but I have read her works and admired her since I was a teenager. Her grace, wisdom and knowledge touched me every time I saw her in the media. I along with millions of others will miss you greatly, so thank you for leaving so much of your gifts for the world to continue to wrap our hearts, spirits and intellect around. The Prince of Peace welcomes you.