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Proclamation honoring in memoriam, beloved author and poet, Maya Angelou.
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WHEREAS, Dr. Maya Angelou, an internationally known author, performer, educator and human and civil rights advocate, passed away on May 28, 2014, at 86 years of age; and
WHEREAS, she was born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928, moved to Stamps, Arkansas, at the age of three to live with her grandmother, and later adopted the name Maya Angelou; and
WHEREAS, the childhood victim of rape, after a four-year period of not speaking at all, Maya was befriended by a caring teacher, who introduced her to classic literature and helped her find the tools that would later allow her to become an eloquent and commanding voice for the excluded and dispossessed of America; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou overcame a childhood marred by trauma and Jim Crow segregation and started a career as a dancer and calypso singer; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou's talents extended to the stage and movie screen, earning the actress a Tony nomination for the play Look Away and an Emmy nomination for her role in the monumental television miniseries Roots; and
WHEREAS, in the early 1960s, Dr. Angelou relocated to Egypt and Ghana where she covered cultural, political and civil rights issues as a freelance journalist, and worked to cultivate international relations between the United States and countries throughout the world; and
WHEREAS, following her return to the United States, Dr. Angelou expanded upon her influence in the Civil Rights Movement by working alongside renowned leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and joining the esteemed Malcolm X to establish the Organization of Afro-American Unity; and
WHEREAS, throughout her life, Dr. Angelou was also a staunch supporter of women's rights, using her mighty pen to encourage women to advance their influence in social organizations and professional industries and become vocal advocates in their journey for equality; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou was perhaps best known for her poignant and inspiring literary work. She published several volumes of poetry, including Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie, for which she was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou also penned a six-volume memoir, which began with the best-selling book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of her brilliant literary contributions and tireless advocacy on behalf of women and minorities, Dr. Angelou was awarded more than 50 honorary degrees; and
WHEREAS, widely respected and influential, Dr. Angelou served on presidential committees for President Gerald Ford and President Jimmy Carter, and she also received the National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton in 2000 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2010; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou was the first individual to hold the lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies at Wake Forest University, a position bestowed on her in 1982, thereby cementing her institutional and educational influence on future leaders; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou will forever be remembered as a personified institution of artistic, social and political thought whose unwavering commitment to effectuating proactive change will influence generations to come;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Allegheny County Council does hereby honor in memoriam Dr. Maya Angelou and we extend our deepest sympathy to her family and loved ones. She will be forever remembered as an unwavering advocate and fervent voice of the people.