1Honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou, an
2internationally known author, performer, educator and civil
3rights advocate; and expressing condolences upon her passing.

4WHEREAS, Dr. Maya Angelou, an internationally known author,
5performer, educator and human and civil rights advocate, passed
6away on May 28, 2014, at 86 years of age; and

7WHEREAS, She was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis,
8Missouri, on April 4, 1928, and later adopted the name Maya
9Angelou; and

10WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou overcame a childhood marred by trauma
11and Jim Crow segregation and started a career as a dancer and
12calypso singer; and

13WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou's talents extended to the stage and
14movie screen, earning the actress a Tony nomination for the play
15Look Away and an Emmy nomination for her role in the monumental

1television miniseries Roots; and

2WHEREAS, In the early 1960s, Dr. Angelou relocated to Egypt
3and Ghana where she covered cultural, political and civil rights
4issues as a freelance journalist, and worked to cultivate
5international relations between the United States and countries
6throughout the world; and

7WHEREAS, Following her return to the United States, Dr.
8Angelou expanded upon her influence in the Civil Rights Movement
9by working alongside renowned leader Dr. Martin Luther King,
10Jr., and joining the esteemed Malcolm X to establish the
11Organization of Afro-American Unity; and

12WHEREAS, Throughout her life, Dr. Angelou was also a staunch
13supporter of women's rights, using her mighty pen to encourage
14women to advance their influence in social organizations and
15professional industries and become vocal advocates in their
16journey for equality; and

17WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou was perhaps best known for her poignant
18and inspiring literary work; and

19WHEREAS, She published several volumes of poetry, including
20Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie, for which she
21was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; and

22WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou also penned a six-volume memoir, which
23began with the best-selling book I Know Why the Caged Bird 
24Sings; and

25WHEREAS, In recognition of her brilliant literary
26contributions and tireless advocacy on behalf of women and
27minorities, Dr. Angelou was awarded more than 50 honorary
28degrees; and

29WHEREAS, Widely respected and influential, Dr. Angelou served
30on presidential committees for President Gerald Ford and

1President Jimmy Carter; and

2WHEREAS, She also received the National Medal of Arts from
3President Bill Clinton in 2000 and the Presidential Medal of
4Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2010; and

5WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou was the first individual to hold the
6lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies at Wake
7Forest University, a position bestowed on her in 1982, thereby
8cementing her institutional and educational influence on future
9leaders; and

10WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou is survived by her son, Guy Johnson,
11along with three grandchildren and a great-grandchild; and

12WHEREAS, Dr. Angelou will forever be remembered as a
13personified institution of artistic, social and political
14thought whose unwavering commitment to effectuating proactive
15change will influence generations to come; therefore be it

16RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the
17extraordinary and prolific life and legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou
18and express its most sincere condolences upon her passing.