THANK YOU, ALLISON, SO MUCH
FOR THAT SONG.
TO PRESIDENT CLINTON AND FIRST
LADY MICHELLE OBAMA, TO GUY
JOHNSON, COLIN,
STEPHANIE, THE
ENTIRE FAMILY-OUR THINGS GIVING
FAMILY, THOSE OF US WHO CONSIDER
OURSELVES FAMILY
[LAUGHTER]
I,
UH, I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME
I HEARD THAT PHRASE " GOD PUT A
RAINBOW IN THE CLOUDS."
I WAS IN UTTER DESPAIR
AND
DISTRAUGHT AND HAD CALLED MAYA.
I REMEMBER BEING LOCKED IN THE
BATHROOM WITH THE DOOR CLOSED
SITTING ON THE TOILET SEAT.
AND I WAS CRYING SO HARD
SHE
COULD BARELY UNDERSTAND WHAT I
WAS SAYING.
I WAS UPSET ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT
I CANNOT REMEMBER.
ISN'T THAT HOW LIFE WORKS?
I
CALLED FOR A LONG-DISTANCE CRY
ON HER SHOULDER BUT SHE WAS NOT
HAVING IT.
SHE SAID, AS YOU ALL KNOW SHE
COULD, STOP IT.
[LAUGHTER]
STOP IT NOW.
I SAID WHAT?
WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?
SHE SAID STOP YOUR CRYING NOW.
I CONTINUED TO SNIFFLE AND SHE
SAID DID YOU HEAR ME?
[LAUGHTER]
AND I SAID, YES, MA'AM.
ONLY SHE COULD LEVEL
ME TO MY
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SELF IN AN
INSTANT.
AND SHE SAID
-- I SAID I'M
TRYING TO EXPLAIN AND SHE SAID I
WANT YOU TO STOP AND SAY THANK
YOU.
BECAUSE WHATEVER IT
IS, YOU HAVE
THE FAITH TO KNOW THAT GOD HAS
PUT A RAINBOW IN THE CLOUDS.
[APPLAUSE]
AND
YOU ARE GOING TO COME OUT ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF WHATEVER IT IS THE
BETTER FOR IT.
SHE WAS IN
ALWAYS, NO MATTER THE
TIME OF DAY OR NIGHT WITH THE
SITUATION, SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE
FOR ME TO BE THE RAINBOW.
I AM HERE TODAY TO SAY THANK
YOU, TO ACKNOWLEDGE TO YOU ALL
AND THE WORLD HOW POWERFUL ONE
LIFE CAN BE.
THE LIFE OF MAYA ANGELOU.
THE LOSS I FEEL
-
I CANNOT DESCRIBE.
IT'S LIKE SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER
FELT BEFORE.
SHE WAS MY SPIRITUAL QUEEN
MOTHER AND EVERYTHING THAT THAT
WORD IMPLIES.
SHE WAS THE ULTIMATE TEACHER.
SHE TAUGHT ME THE POETRY OF
COURAGE AND RESPECT.
MANY A DAY I WOULD
ASK HER
ADVICE WHILE TRYING TO NAVIGATE
THE PITFALLS OF FAME, OF A
PUBLIC LIFE WHEN SOMEBODY HAD
WRITTEN OR SAID SOMETHING
HURTFUL AND UNTRUE AND SHE WOULD
SAY, AV, YOU ARE NOT IN IT.
YOU'RE NOT IN IT WHEN THEY WROTE
IT AND WHEN HE SAT DOWN AT THE
TYPEWRITER.
THAT'S A LONG WEB AND TALKING.
[LAUGHTER]
-- THAT'S HOW LONG WE HAVE BEEN
TALKING.
SHE WOULD SAY THOSE
PEOPLE
CANNOT HOLD A CANDLE TO THE
LIGHT GOT ALREADY HAS SHINE ON
YOUR FACE.
CAN'T YOU SEE IT?
[APPLAUSE]
SHE WOULD SAY LOOK UP, LOOK UP
AND SEE THE LIGHT.
WHEN I WAS ON TRIAL
IN 1998 IN
TEXAS WERE SAYING SOMETHING THAT
ABOUT A BURGER
[LAUGHTER]
YES, FOR SIX WEEKS, I WAS ON
TRIAL WITH THE TEXAS CATTLEMEN,
MAMA ANGELOU CAME TO TEXAS WITH
A PRAYEROPOSSE.
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]
AND WE ALL KNOW
THAT MAYA WAS A
FORCE ALL BY HERSELF BUT THE
FORCE CAME WITH BACKUP.
[LAUGHTER]
THEY PRAYED ALL DAY AND ALL
NIGHT LONG AND MAYA WOULD SIT IN
THE COURTROOM WHILE I TESTIFIED.
THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY DID NOT
KNOW WHAT HIT HIM.
[LAUGHTER]
THE LAWYER MOM HAD ARRIVED IN
AMARILLO AND IT WAS AT THE SAME
TIME THAT I MET DR. PHIL WHO WAS
COACHING ME ON HOW TO BEHAVE IN
THE COURTROOM AND HE SAID, LOOK
IN THE JURORS EYES AND MAYA SAID
NO, LOOK ABOVE THEIR HEADS.
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]
LOOK ABOVE THEIR HEADS.
SHE'D SAY LOOK ABOVE THEIR HEADS
AND STAND STILL INSIDE YOURSELF
AND KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
YOU ARE GOD'S CHILD COME AND SHE
TOLD ME, AND IN GOD YOU MOVE AND
BREATHE AND HAVE YOUR BEING.
OF COURSE, WE WON THAT TRIAL.
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]
AND EVERY OTHER
ONE I FACED, SHE
WAS ALWAYS THERE HOLDING ME UP,
HOLDING ME UP TO KNOW MYSELF.
TO SEE THE LIGHT THAT ALREADY
HAD SHINING ON MY FACE.
YES, I WILL MISS HER.
STEDMAN GAIL
AND I RECENTLY
VISITED WITH HER AND I WALKED
INTO THE ROOM AND HER EYES LIT
UP AND SHE GREETED ME AS SHE
ALWAYS DID IN PERSON OR ON THE
PHONE AND SHE SAID, HELLO YOU
DARLING GIRL.
SHE
HAD TAKEN A LIKING TO THE
IPAD I GAVE HER AND I LOVED THAT
ALL OF HER NOSE BEGAN WITH "OH
DEARIO AND ENDED WITH LOVE,
MA,
MAYA ANGELOU.
WHEN HER MOTHER VIVIAN BAXTER
TOLD HER AT AGE 17, YOU KNOW
BABY, YOU MAY BE ONE OF THE
GREATEST WOMEN I HAVE EVER
KNOWN.
SHE DID NOT KNOW SHE WAS
PROPHESYING WHAT WE ALL NOW KNOW
TO BE TRUE.
MAYA ANGELOU IS THE GREATEST
WOMAN I HAVE EVER KNOWN.
[APPLAUSE]
IN ALL THE WAYS THAT ONLY SHE
COULD DEFINE WHAT IT MEANS TO
BE, IN HER WORDS, REAL WOMAN AND
NOT JUST AN AGING FEMALE.
[LAUGHTER]
BUT A PROUD TO SPELL MY NAME,
W-O
-MA-AN KIND OF WOMAN.
SHE HAD MANY DAUGHTER THROUGHOUT
THE WORLD, STEPHANIE ROSA,
HER GREAT GIFT TO US IS THAT YOU
MADE EVERY ONE OF US FEEL LIKE
WE WERE THE ONE.
SHE MET US FEEL HEARD AND SEEN
AND LOVED AND SPECIAL AND
WORTHY.
YOU ALONE ARE
NOT AND I AM THE
WOMAN I AM TODAY BECAUSE SHE
WAS.
SHE NOT ONLY EXISTED AS SHE
PROCLAIMED IN HER POEM " TALL
TREES"
SHE THRIVES TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE
DO THE SAME AND INDEED AS SHE
SAID WE CAN BE BETTER AND DO
BETTER BECAUSE SHE EXISTED.
YOU KNOW, I STILL -- I
MARVEL AT
GOD.
I AM JUST IN OFF --AWE, THAT I,
A LITTLE COLORED HIM OF THE
NEGRO GIRL, GROWING UP IN
MISSISSIPPI, HAVING READ "
I
KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS"
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME READING A
STORY ABOUT SOMEONE WHO WAS LIKE
ME -
I MARVELED THAT FROM THE
FIRST PAGE
, WHAT IS SHE LOOKING
AT ME FOR?
I WAS THAT GIRL WHO HAD DONE
EASTER PIECES AND CHRISTMAS
PIECES.
I WAS THAT GIRL WHO LOVED TO
READ.
I WAS THE GIRL WHO WAS RAISED BY
MY SOUTHERN GRANDMOTHER.
I WAS THAT GIRL WHO WAS RAPED AT
NINE.
MY FIRST MET MAYA ANGELOU
IN THE
LATE 1970'S AND BALTIMORE AS A
YOUNG NEWS REPORTER, AND BEGGED
HER TO DO AN INTERVIEW WITH ME
AND I SAID I PROMISE, I PROMISE,
IT IF YOU GIVE ME YOUR TIME, IT
WILL ONLY BE FIVE MINUTES.
AT THE END OF FOUR
MINUTES AND
58 SECONDS, I TOLD THE
CAMERAMAN, DONE AND MAYA ANGELOU
LOOKED AT ME AND SAID WHO ARE
YOU, GIRL?
[LAUGHTER]
FIRST, WE BECAME FRIENDLY
AND
THEN SISTER FRIENDS ON THE FIRST
TIME SHE TOLD ME I WAS HER
DAUGHTER, I KNOW I HAVE FOUND
HOME.
SITTING AT HER KITCHEN TABLE ON
VALLEY ROAD SHE WAS READING PAUL
LAWRENCE DUNBAR, " LITERAL BROWN
BIT -- LITTLE BROWN BABY WITH
SPARKLING EYES."
THAT WAS MY FAVORITE WAYS OF THE
KITCHEN TABLE OR LEANING AT HER
FEET OR OVER HER LEFT LAUGHING
FOR REAL.
SOAKING UP ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE,
ALTHOUGH THINGS THAT SHE HAD TO
TEACH, THE GRACE, THE LOVE, ALL
OF IT, MY HEART WAS FULL.
RARELY DID WE EVER HAVE A PHONE
CONVERSATION WHERE I WAS NOT
TAKING NOTES.
SHE WAS ALWAYS TEACHING.
WHEN YOU LEARN, TEACH, WHEN YOU
GET, GIVE, I WAS AT THE VOTED
STUDENT OF MAYA ANGELOU.
LEARNING UP TO OUR LAST
CONVERSATION THE SUNDAY BEFORE
SHE DIED.
IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT FOR ME TO
TRY TO PUT INTO WORDS WHAT IT
MEANS TO LOSE, AS
CEECILY SAID,
OUR ROCK.
SHE WAS MY ANCHOR.
SO IT'S HARD TO DESCRIBE TO
YOU
WHAT IT MEANS WHEN YOU'RE ANCHOR
SHIFTS.
BUT I REALIZED THIS
MORNING THAT
I REALLY DON'T HAVE TO PUT IT
INTO WORDS.
WHAT I HAVE TO DO IS LIVE IT.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT SHE WOULD
WANT.
SHE WOULD WANT ME, YOU, US TO
LIVE HER LEGACY.
I REMEMBER
WHEN I OPENED MY
SCHOOL IN SOUTH AFRICA AND I
SAID TO HER, THIS IS GOING TO BE
MY GREATEST LEGACY AND SHE SAID,
NOT SO FAST.
[LAUGHTER]
YOUR LEGACY, SHE SAID, IS EVERY
WOMAN WHO EVER WATCHED YOUR SHOW
WHO DECIDED TO GO BACK TO
SCHOOL.
YOUR LEGACY IS EVERY MAN WHO
DECIDED TO FORGIVE HIS FATHER.
IT'S EVERY GAY PERSON WHO
DECIDED TO COME OUT BECAUSE THEY
SAW A SHOW OF YOURS.
YOUR LEGACY IS EVERY PERSON YOU
EVER TOUCHED.
YOUR LEGACY IS HOW YOU LIVED AND
WHAT YOU'D DID AND WHAT YOU SAID
EVERY DAY.
SO TRUE, SISTER MAYA.
I WANT TO LIVE YOUR LEGACY.
WE WANT TO LIVE YOUR LEGACY AS
YOU TOUCHED US ALL.
EACH OF US WHO KNEW HER
, THOSE
ONLY TOUCHED BY HER WORDS WERE
THOSE WHO WERE ABLE WERE BLESSED
TO SIT AT THE KITCHEN TABLE, WE
ARE NEXT IN LINE TO BE A MAYA
ANGELOU TO SOMEONE ELSE.
IT'S A CHALLENGE THAT I EMBRACE
WITH MY WHOLE HEART.
I CANNOT FILL HER SHOES BUT I
CAN WALK IN HER FOOTSTEPS.
TO CARRY AND PASS ON TO THE NEXT
GENERATION WHAT SHE KNEW SO
WELL
, WHAT YOU TRY TO TEACH ALL OF
US -- WE ARE MORE ALIKE THAN WE
ARE DIFFERENT.
WHEN I SEE YOU, I'M REALLY JUST
LOOKING AT MYSELF IN A DIFFERENT
COSTUME.
I AM HUMAN AND THEREFORE NOTHING
HUMAN IS ALIEN TO ME, SHE USED
TO TEACH.
SO, WE MUST CARRY
ON AND PASS ON
LIFTING HUMANITY UP, HELPING
PEOPLE TO LIVE LIVES OF PURPOSE
AND DIGNITY, TO PASS ON
THE
POETRY OF COURAGE AND RESPECT.
THAT IS WHAT SHE WOULD WANT.
THAT IS WHAT WE WILL DO.
AND I KNOW I WILL DO
IT IN A WAY
THAT SHE WOULD MOST WANT.
IN MY LAST CONVERSATION WITH
HER, I WAS TELLING HER ABOUT
GOING TO FILM A MOVIE "SELMA,"
AND SHE SAID TO ME AS SHE ALWAYS
SAID WHEN I WAS DOING ANY KIND
OF JOB, SHE SAID, BABY, I WANT
YOU TO DO IT AND I WANT YOU TO
TAKE IT, TAKE IT ALL THE WAY.
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]