[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 6, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E184-E185]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO MAYA ANGELOU

                                 ______


                           HON. KWEISI MFUME

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 6, 1996

  Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Maya Angelou, one of 
the most impassioned voices not only of the African-American community 
but of mankind as a whole. Ms. Angelou once explained. ``I speak to the 
black experience but I am always talking about the human condition--
about what we can endure, dream, fail at and still survive.'' For this 
reason, she was tapped by President Clinton to address the Nation 
during his inauguration. She was the first poet, since Robert Frost 
spoke at the Kennedy inaugural almost 32 years prior, to address the 
Nation during such a moment of political change. In composing a poem 
for the inaugural address, she sought to remind us all that we are more 
alike than unalike. She credits her ability to bring people together, 
as well as the President's fondness of her work, for why she was 
chosen.
  Although many Americans became aware of Ms. Angelou during the 
swearing-in ceremony, she has been speaking to the Nation through a 
variety of mediums for decades. She is a woman of many talents--an 
author, actress, singer, dancer, songwriter, and teacher. Although much 
of her written work is based on the experiences of a black woman, she 
always manages to make her words applicable to everyone.

[[Page E185]]

  It is these experiences which become the foundation of her most 
acclaimed work, a five-volume autobiography. The first book, I know Why 
the Caged Bird Sings, which received a National Book Award nomination, 
documents her early experiences in Arkansas, Missouri, and California. 
In the autobiography, she reveals the many hardships she has faced but 
through which she has persevered. It was through this novel that the 
world came to understand the obstacles she overcame. Raped at the 
tender age of 8 she retreated into her own world and would not utter a 
single word for the next 5 years. But the book also reveals the good in 
her life such as the birth of her only son, Guy. It is the honesty of 
her words which draws admirers from politicians, like myself and the 
President, to those who flock to hear her speak on the lecture circuit.
  In her 12 books 6 of which are poetry, she has managed to write about 
every part of her life, focusing on such universal themes as struggle, 
success, love, family and identity. Her books have been a commercial 
and critical success. In 1972, she was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize 
for Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie, a collection of 
39 poems. Her poetry, which also reflects much of her life, explores 
the South, racial confrontation, and the strength of blacks in the face 
of hardship. One critic claimed that her poems ``are characterized by a 
spontaneous joyfulness and an indomitable spirit to survive.''
  Ms. Angelou has also been recognized for her talents on stage and 
screen. Her performance in ``Look Away'' garnered a nomination for the 
prestigious Tony Award. In addition, her work in the mini-series, 
``Roots'', earned her an Emmy Award nomination in 1977. In the same 
year, she received the Golden Eagle Ward for the documentary Afro-
American in the Arts.
  Ms. Angelou continues to work devoting herself to helping shape the 
minds of your youth. Since 1981, she has been the first Reynolds 
Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University. Ms. Angelou's 
contributions to our national culture are enormous and continue to 
enrich all our lives.

                          ____________________