I have always wanted to meet Maya Angelou. Although I have never met her in person, I met her through the reading of her autobiographies. She was truly a phenomenal woman. She will continue to live on in my life through her written words.
My heartfelt condolence to all her family and friends around the world.
Tiffany Newsome
Dr. Angelou was a great inspiration to all, and her love for education and English is one thing that really drives me as an English teacher! She will greatly missed, but her impact shall forever linger. May God continue to be with the family during this time.
Clement Brown, Class of 1973
I met Maya in the early ’70’s. She was part of the Lecture Series. DeTamble was packed.
As one of the few African-American students, I knew the campus was in for a treat and she delivered. Afterwards, she was like the Pied Piper, mesmerizing everyone who sat and stood at her feet. Thankyou Maya for your energy, passion, love of education and all students. Rest In Peace, Maya. Well Done!
Seletha Tucker
The world has lost a great humanitarian, poet, teacher and a jewel of a person who has taught us how to love and be loved and how to be comfortable in our own skin. Her many quotes, poems, and books will definitely carry on her legacy, life and purpose. We will truly miss her but we are grateful for having such a great person to have shared her life with us. May God comfort her family and close friends.
clement brown
I met Maya in the early 70’s when she was part of the Lecture Series. DeTamble Auditorium was packed. As one of few African-American students, I was so proud that all students would get the opportunity to experience her wit, wisdom, energy and passion for education and students. She delivered and was better than advertised. Afterwards, she was like the Pied Piper. Folks were at her feet begging for more. Thank You, Maya. Wake Forest and the rest of the world are lesser places without you.
Elizabeth Gritter, Ph.D.
I am saddened to learn about the death of Maya Angelou &, reading the obits on her, realize even more what an amazing & fascinating woman she was. I was privileged to hear her speak & read her poetry at UNC-Chapel Hill when in graduate school there in the 2000s. She read a funny poem that was a slam against vegetarians that dealt w/ the love of meat. And I remember she said something along the lines of who are we to know what goes on in another’s soul & it was as if she was looking at me as if she knew that thought would hit me. She also mentioned that she was glad to be invited to speak at UNC-Chapel Hill, after all she lived just down the road. Now as a college professor of history I share the documentary African American Lives 2 with my students & know that they learn from her poignant recollections about the Jim Crow South. I’m sure that I first became aware of her per her poem at Clinton’s inauguration. Her life too is unique for the varied & many people who respected & admired her across many fields–that she could reach people so broadly, from submitting a poem for Michael Jackson’s funeral to reading the poem at Clinton’s inauguration to now having the Obamas release a statement in her memory.
Dr. Luz Maria Umpierre (Luzma)
Day of Sorrow in MY Life: Extraordinary poet, actress, performer, lover of women and my own Marguerite from The Margarita Poems has died at 86. It seems just yesterday she approved of my using her quote from a letter she wrote personally to me while I was at Western Kentucky University to laud myThe Margarita Poems and saying that she was also a Margarita in my life. I used her comments on the back cover of my book I’m Still Standing; Thirty Years of Poetry which was mailed to her also for her delight with a loving inscription. The letter is now at De Paul University. I am speechless to say all I adored this woman. I saw her read for years and years and I even took Moira Finley (my adopted daughter) and Aroostine Brown (her friend) to see her in Boston. They are both disabled and they were inspired by her story of survival. Dr.Angelou always spoke to me when I attended her readings, at times in private, while we walked down the hallways. She always wore long dresses to perform just like I took on doing much to my former lover’s disliking. Prof. Maya Angelou: I will be writing real soon to honor you and I ask everyone here to raise their hand and say: “I swear allegiance to the grand dame who wrote a poem for President Bill Clinton and who today I re-affirm that one of the most prestigious awards in Heaven should be bestowed on her as America’s premiere HUMAN being!” I loved you and I am in mourning. Maya Maya Maya dearest, love, you are not gone, you live in my aching bones but you gave me a balsam to heal. Everyone a huge clap for the life of Maya. I wish I could stand guard at her funeral. Still I rise! Still I rise! Still I rise! Still raising! And, please let us all clap around the World for a Professor Emeriti has died today as we bow to her also in the kindness admission to her greatness. A hug Puerto Rican embrace to my colleagues at Wake Forest and especially to my colleague there Prof. Mary Lusky Friedman who admired her deeply.
Clement Brown
I met Maya in the early 70’s when she was a guest speaker. Her wit, wisdom, energy and passion for the spoken and written word positively impacted all who had the privilege of hearing her in DeTamble Auditorium. As one of few African-American students, I recalled being so thankful that everyone had the opportunity to hear her pearls of wisdom. She was like the Pied Piper with everyone hanging on her every word. Wake Forest is a better place in no small part because of her.
Mae Fitchett
Maya Angelou inspired me as a young black female college student to rise above resistance to my dreams and aspirations, to be proud of my heritage as a “phenomenal woman” because “nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” Her visits to campuses where I studied and work will forever touch my heart.
Mae Fitchett
Dr. Ruth H Scott
I extend my condolences to all of the wonderful family , friends and proteges of the extraordinary Maya Angelou. Our friendship first blossomed through her book I know Why the Caged Bird Sings and grew more robust with each new writing and her poetry. Finally, I was able to meet and be in conversation with often beginning with the Carter inauguration, Leadership American conferences and private receptions especially at Spelman.
The last stanza of My poem which begins my memoir, THE CIRCLES GOD DRAWS explains the admiration so many of us share.
THE INHERITANCE OF OUR MOTHER’S SHACKLES AND POWER…
“We are in defiance of all captivity
Because we know the secret of our muse.
A wellspring of joy bubbles through troubled worlds and troubled times.
We were fashioned by a creator who makes butterfly wings.
And that is why the Mona Lisa smiles.
And that is the connection between
“Caged Birds and “Phenomenal Women!”
Kelly Williams
I read Dr Angelou’s book I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS at the age of 15. I was taken by her words, her life, her wisdom. I applied to Wake Forest because of her really… And then I had the pleasure to take her class. Sitting on the first row on the first day, I was struck by her magnificent presence and booming voice while we all sat mesmerised as she told us stories from that seminal work.
I have thought many times that it was because of Dr Angelou that my life has taken the great turns it has. She was a magnificent woman and the world is better off for her words, her work, for her having walked this earth.
Thank you, Dr Angelou.
PS And thank you for the yummy biscuits that Saturday morning.
E. Ramona Brown
Ms. Angelou demonstrated the power of the written and spoke word as a source of instruction, revelation, entertainment, and healing. She taught that we all have more in common that we really want to admit.
Patricia C. Simmonds
Dr. Maya Angelou,
You have been an inspiration to me and to millions around the world. Thank you for gracing us all with your thoughts and your ever so memorable poetic lyrics. You will be forever in out memories and therefore will be truly missed.
May God rest your soul in peace.
Katie Mundell Barnwell
Dr. Angelou was the most REAL person in this world. She did not judge or preach, but rather taught, and all of the world has been inspired by her teachings. We are all blessed that she graced our world with her presence for so long and will continue to be inspired by her works. God bless her and her family.
Carol Burns
The world is better because Dr. Maya ‘Angel’ou existed…
I Shall Not Be Moved
And when the great souls die,
after a period of peace blooms,
slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper
to us. They existed. They existed. We can be.
Be and be better. For they existed.
Abena Songbird
I remember the bright beacon that was Dr. Maya Angelou, coming to Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco where I worked in the late 80’s early 90’s for both poet/CEO Janice Mirikitani, and her husband, Rev. Cecil Williams.
I had the high honor of sharing the Glide stage with her, as a vocalist in the Glide Ensemble, I will never forget “backing her up” with song, after she read one of her transformative poems. She was such an inspiration – a warm, golden human being, with such a brilliance in her voice, and I will always remember that brief introduction.
She no doubt is one of the brightest of luminaries now in the celestial firmament – but I will miss her on the planet, as I do so many of her contemporaries – she has left a legacy of justice, civil rights, high arts – poetry and song, for us all to aspire to.
May Great Mystery bless your spirit’s journey and that of your family (Guy) and all those who are now experiencing the loss of a great person.
Thank you for your art, your song, your voice, and your spirit of justice, overcoming the most inhumane oppression, and eternal endurance! You voice and essence lives on in so many of us.
Ktsi Wliwni
Lisa Hawk
When I moved to Winston-Salem in 1995 with my partner we didn’t know a soul. We were both drawn to this town because of the potential for it to be an up and coming area for we tail end of the baby boomers. Neither of us had a particular kinship to Wake Forest but we respected the university for it’s high academic standards. We did however know that Dr. Angelo was on faculty there, and because of our immense respect for her quickly became part of the Old Black and Gold family. She imparted many lessons on our lives by just being herself. She helped us to learn that we have value as human beings, we have value to our community, and we matter to the world. Rest in peace dear lady- you have changed the world for the better!
Maureen McRae Goldberg
A great loss to the world is the death of this phenomenal woman. I grew up reading her books and fell in love with her poetry in college. When I graduated, my advisor read the poem “Phenomenal Woman” in her remarks about me (I was women’s studies major). I thought that was an amazing poem of strength and have shared it with many, but it did not compare the strength she gave the nation at President Clinton’s inauguration. Have the two words “Good Morning” ever carried such strength? I had the pleasure of listening to her at a professional conference once, just being in the room made one feel like they were part of the bigger picture. I hope she rests in peace and that she had been able to lay down her burdens. We have lost a great woman today.
Damar T. Watts – University of Virginia
“You see, Love Liberates. It doesn’t bind. Love says I love you, I love you if you’re in China. I love you if you’re across town, I love you if you’re in Harlem. I love you. I would like to be near you, I’d like to have your arms around me, I’d like to hear your voice in my ear. But that’s not possible now. So, I love you. Go.”
-Maya Angelou, Love Liberates
Brenda B. Diggs
I met Dr. Maya Angelou shortly after she moved to Winston-Salem and had the pleasure of serving as her executive banker. It was a pleasure and privilege that I did not take lightly as she selected me. Even after I moved on to other positions in Wachovia Bank, I stayed in touch with her and our paths would cross as I served across the community. She was a giant among women and always one to encourage you to reach for the stars. No matter where she met you, she remembered your name and would cheerfully give you a warm greeting. This I personally witnessed when I saw her in the Atlanta airport at 7:30AM one morning. I was traveling for the bank and she was returning home from a trip. Her voice rang out as she said “Good Morning, Mrs. Diggs.” I will cherish the times I was able to spend with her and thank her so much for the positive role model she was for so many women and men. Dr. Maya Angelou did what I know is important for us all; that is, “Make a positive difference” in the lives of others. You have fought a good fight, earned your rest and blessed many as you traveled through this life. You will forever live in our hearts.
I have always wanted to meet Maya Angelou. Although I have never met her in person, I met her through the reading of her autobiographies. She was truly a phenomenal woman. She will continue to live on in my life through her written words.
My heartfelt condolence to all her family and friends around the world.
Dr. Angelou was a great inspiration to all, and her love for education and English is one thing that really drives me as an English teacher! She will greatly missed, but her impact shall forever linger. May God continue to be with the family during this time.
I met Maya in the early ’70’s. She was part of the Lecture Series. DeTamble was packed.
As one of the few African-American students, I knew the campus was in for a treat and she delivered. Afterwards, she was like the Pied Piper, mesmerizing everyone who sat and stood at her feet. Thankyou Maya for your energy, passion, love of education and all students. Rest In Peace, Maya. Well Done!
The world has lost a great humanitarian, poet, teacher and a jewel of a person who has taught us how to love and be loved and how to be comfortable in our own skin. Her many quotes, poems, and books will definitely carry on her legacy, life and purpose. We will truly miss her but we are grateful for having such a great person to have shared her life with us. May God comfort her family and close friends.
I met Maya in the early 70’s when she was part of the Lecture Series. DeTamble Auditorium was packed. As one of few African-American students, I was so proud that all students would get the opportunity to experience her wit, wisdom, energy and passion for education and students. She delivered and was better than advertised. Afterwards, she was like the Pied Piper. Folks were at her feet begging for more. Thank You, Maya. Wake Forest and the rest of the world are lesser places without you.
I am saddened to learn about the death of Maya Angelou &, reading the obits on her, realize even more what an amazing & fascinating woman she was. I was privileged to hear her speak & read her poetry at UNC-Chapel Hill when in graduate school there in the 2000s. She read a funny poem that was a slam against vegetarians that dealt w/ the love of meat. And I remember she said something along the lines of who are we to know what goes on in another’s soul & it was as if she was looking at me as if she knew that thought would hit me. She also mentioned that she was glad to be invited to speak at UNC-Chapel Hill, after all she lived just down the road. Now as a college professor of history I share the documentary African American Lives 2 with my students & know that they learn from her poignant recollections about the Jim Crow South. I’m sure that I first became aware of her per her poem at Clinton’s inauguration. Her life too is unique for the varied & many people who respected & admired her across many fields–that she could reach people so broadly, from submitting a poem for Michael Jackson’s funeral to reading the poem at Clinton’s inauguration to now having the Obamas release a statement in her memory.
Day of Sorrow in MY Life: Extraordinary poet, actress, performer, lover of women and my own Marguerite from The Margarita Poems has died at 86. It seems just yesterday she approved of my using her quote from a letter she wrote personally to me while I was at Western Kentucky University to laud myThe Margarita Poems and saying that she was also a Margarita in my life. I used her comments on the back cover of my book I’m Still Standing; Thirty Years of Poetry which was mailed to her also for her delight with a loving inscription. The letter is now at De Paul University. I am speechless to say all I adored this woman. I saw her read for years and years and I even took Moira Finley (my adopted daughter) and Aroostine Brown (her friend) to see her in Boston. They are both disabled and they were inspired by her story of survival. Dr.Angelou always spoke to me when I attended her readings, at times in private, while we walked down the hallways. She always wore long dresses to perform just like I took on doing much to my former lover’s disliking. Prof. Maya Angelou: I will be writing real soon to honor you and I ask everyone here to raise their hand and say: “I swear allegiance to the grand dame who wrote a poem for President Bill Clinton and who today I re-affirm that one of the most prestigious awards in Heaven should be bestowed on her as America’s premiere HUMAN being!” I loved you and I am in mourning. Maya Maya Maya dearest, love, you are not gone, you live in my aching bones but you gave me a balsam to heal. Everyone a huge clap for the life of Maya. I wish I could stand guard at her funeral. Still I rise! Still I rise! Still I rise! Still raising! And, please let us all clap around the World for a Professor Emeriti has died today as we bow to her also in the kindness admission to her greatness. A hug Puerto Rican embrace to my colleagues at Wake Forest and especially to my colleague there Prof. Mary Lusky Friedman who admired her deeply.
I met Maya in the early 70’s when she was a guest speaker. Her wit, wisdom, energy and passion for the spoken and written word positively impacted all who had the privilege of hearing her in DeTamble Auditorium. As one of few African-American students, I recalled being so thankful that everyone had the opportunity to hear her pearls of wisdom. She was like the Pied Piper with everyone hanging on her every word. Wake Forest is a better place in no small part because of her.
Maya Angelou inspired me as a young black female college student to rise above resistance to my dreams and aspirations, to be proud of my heritage as a “phenomenal woman” because “nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” Her visits to campuses where I studied and work will forever touch my heart.
Mae Fitchett
I extend my condolences to all of the wonderful family , friends and proteges of the extraordinary Maya Angelou. Our friendship first blossomed through her book I know Why the Caged Bird Sings and grew more robust with each new writing and her poetry. Finally, I was able to meet and be in conversation with often beginning with the Carter inauguration, Leadership American conferences and private receptions especially at Spelman.
The last stanza of My poem which begins my memoir, THE CIRCLES GOD DRAWS explains the admiration so many of us share.
THE INHERITANCE OF OUR MOTHER’S SHACKLES AND POWER…
“We are in defiance of all captivity
Because we know the secret of our muse.
A wellspring of joy bubbles through troubled worlds and troubled times.
We were fashioned by a creator who makes butterfly wings.
And that is why the Mona Lisa smiles.
And that is the connection between
“Caged Birds and “Phenomenal Women!”
I read Dr Angelou’s book I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS at the age of 15. I was taken by her words, her life, her wisdom. I applied to Wake Forest because of her really… And then I had the pleasure to take her class. Sitting on the first row on the first day, I was struck by her magnificent presence and booming voice while we all sat mesmerised as she told us stories from that seminal work.
I have thought many times that it was because of Dr Angelou that my life has taken the great turns it has. She was a magnificent woman and the world is better off for her words, her work, for her having walked this earth.
Thank you, Dr Angelou.
PS And thank you for the yummy biscuits that Saturday morning.
Ms. Angelou demonstrated the power of the written and spoke word as a source of instruction, revelation, entertainment, and healing. She taught that we all have more in common that we really want to admit.
Dr. Maya Angelou,
You have been an inspiration to me and to millions around the world. Thank you for gracing us all with your thoughts and your ever so memorable poetic lyrics. You will be forever in out memories and therefore will be truly missed.
May God rest your soul in peace.
Dr. Angelou was the most REAL person in this world. She did not judge or preach, but rather taught, and all of the world has been inspired by her teachings. We are all blessed that she graced our world with her presence for so long and will continue to be inspired by her works. God bless her and her family.
The world is better because Dr. Maya ‘Angel’ou existed…
I Shall Not Be Moved
And when the great souls die,
after a period of peace blooms,
slowly and always irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never to be the same, whisper
to us. They existed. They existed. We can be.
Be and be better. For they existed.
I remember the bright beacon that was Dr. Maya Angelou, coming to Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco where I worked in the late 80’s early 90’s for both poet/CEO Janice Mirikitani, and her husband, Rev. Cecil Williams.
I had the high honor of sharing the Glide stage with her, as a vocalist in the Glide Ensemble, I will never forget “backing her up” with song, after she read one of her transformative poems. She was such an inspiration – a warm, golden human being, with such a brilliance in her voice, and I will always remember that brief introduction.
She no doubt is one of the brightest of luminaries now in the celestial firmament – but I will miss her on the planet, as I do so many of her contemporaries – she has left a legacy of justice, civil rights, high arts – poetry and song, for us all to aspire to.
May Great Mystery bless your spirit’s journey and that of your family (Guy) and all those who are now experiencing the loss of a great person.
Thank you for your art, your song, your voice, and your spirit of justice, overcoming the most inhumane oppression, and eternal endurance! You voice and essence lives on in so many of us.
Ktsi Wliwni
When I moved to Winston-Salem in 1995 with my partner we didn’t know a soul. We were both drawn to this town because of the potential for it to be an up and coming area for we tail end of the baby boomers. Neither of us had a particular kinship to Wake Forest but we respected the university for it’s high academic standards. We did however know that Dr. Angelo was on faculty there, and because of our immense respect for her quickly became part of the Old Black and Gold family. She imparted many lessons on our lives by just being herself. She helped us to learn that we have value as human beings, we have value to our community, and we matter to the world. Rest in peace dear lady- you have changed the world for the better!
A great loss to the world is the death of this phenomenal woman. I grew up reading her books and fell in love with her poetry in college. When I graduated, my advisor read the poem “Phenomenal Woman” in her remarks about me (I was women’s studies major). I thought that was an amazing poem of strength and have shared it with many, but it did not compare the strength she gave the nation at President Clinton’s inauguration. Have the two words “Good Morning” ever carried such strength? I had the pleasure of listening to her at a professional conference once, just being in the room made one feel like they were part of the bigger picture. I hope she rests in peace and that she had been able to lay down her burdens. We have lost a great woman today.
“You see, Love Liberates. It doesn’t bind. Love says I love you, I love you if you’re in China. I love you if you’re across town, I love you if you’re in Harlem. I love you. I would like to be near you, I’d like to have your arms around me, I’d like to hear your voice in my ear. But that’s not possible now. So, I love you. Go.”
-Maya Angelou, Love Liberates
I met Dr. Maya Angelou shortly after she moved to Winston-Salem and had the pleasure of serving as her executive banker. It was a pleasure and privilege that I did not take lightly as she selected me. Even after I moved on to other positions in Wachovia Bank, I stayed in touch with her and our paths would cross as I served across the community. She was a giant among women and always one to encourage you to reach for the stars. No matter where she met you, she remembered your name and would cheerfully give you a warm greeting. This I personally witnessed when I saw her in the Atlanta airport at 7:30AM one morning. I was traveling for the bank and she was returning home from a trip. Her voice rang out as she said “Good Morning, Mrs. Diggs.” I will cherish the times I was able to spend with her and thank her so much for the positive role model she was for so many women and men. Dr. Maya Angelou did what I know is important for us all; that is, “Make a positive difference” in the lives of others. You have fought a good fight, earned your rest and blessed many as you traveled through this life. You will forever live in our hearts.