[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10435]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING DR. MAYA ANGELOU

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 18, 2014

  Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
extraordinary life of Dr. Maya Angelou. Her vast body of work, which 
spans over six decades, as a dancer, actress, author and activist has 
stood the test of time. As a leader in the civil rights movement, a 
poet laureate, a college professor, Broadway actress and the first 
female African American cable car conductor in San Francisco, Maya 
Angelou was the spirit and conscience of generations. With her passing 
on May 28, 2014, we continue to be inspired by her life's work.
  Born on April 4, 1928, Dr. Maya Angelou was raised in Stamps, 
Arkansas and St. Louis, Missouri. At a young age, Dr. Angelou 
experienced the brutality of racial discrimination which drove her 
passion for justice and equality.
  In the early 1950s, Dr. Maya Angelou began her career as a performer. 
She toured with the production Porgy and Bess through Europe for two 
years. While living in Ghana, Dr. Angelou met with Malcolm X who 
encouraged her to move back to the United States to help him build the 
Organization of African American Unity. After the assassination of 
Malcolm X, Dr. Maya Angelou worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 
serving as the Northern Coordinator for the Southern Christian 
Leadership Conference.
  Her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was nominated for 
a National Book Award in 1970 and remained on The New York Times 
paperback bestseller list for two years.
  In addition to Dr. Angelou's prolific career, she has been honored 
with many prestigious awards. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of 
Arts in 2000 and received over 50 honorary degrees. President Bill 
Clinton asked her to compose a poem for his inauguration in 1993, 
making her the second poet to ever read a poem at a Presidential 
Inauguration.
  President Barack Obama bestowed Dr. Maya Angelou the 2010 
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United 
States of America.
  I will forever cherish the private moments I had the privilege to 
share with Dr. Maya Angelou. I was very moved when several years ago 
Maya called me and invited me to her beautiful home to talk. We spoke 
in her living room as sisters, about our lives, our struggles and our 
passion for improving the human condition. I confided in her about the 
many challenges I faced after voting against the Authorization for the 
Use of Military Force following the 9/11 attacks. I can never repay the 
encouragement and affirmation she gave me during that trying time as 
she reminded me that we all embody attributes of scripture's Proverbs 
31, virtuous woman. And that our worth is far beyond rubies, we speak 
with wisdom and are clothed with strength and dignity.
  I was humbled that she insisted I write my autobiography. Once I 
finally garnered the courage to do so, she invited me to discuss it on 
her radio show and encouraged me to speed up the release of my 
paperback edition so that more people, especially young women, could 
have access to my story.
  Dr. Maya Angelou was passionate about helping young women achieve 
their fullest potential. Her example of grace, class and humility will 
continue to inspire young women to define themselves through a lens of 
self-love, humanitarianism and how they use their talents to change the 
world.
  She lived life to its fullest and shared with the world the essence 
of a purposeful life. I will hold her words, ``. . . be certain that 
you do not die without having done something wonderful for humanity'' 
close to my heart, knowing that she was one of humanity's greatest 
gifts.
  Today, California's 13th Congressional District salutes and honors an 
outstanding individual and leader, Dr. Maya Angelou. While the world 
grieves in Dr. Maya Angelou's passing, we can take comfort in the fact 
that her words and her legacy live on in the generations of people who 
have been touched, challenged and inspired by her work. We will miss 
her tremendously, but Dr. Maya Angelou's legacy and spirit will live on 
forever.

                          ____________________