I've been blessed to have Maya Angelou as my
mentor, mother/sister, and friend since my
20’s. She was there for me always, guiding
me through some of the most important years
of my life. The world knows her as a poet but
at the heart of her, she was a teacher. ‘When
you learn, teach. When you get, give’ is one of
my best lessons from her. She won three
Grammys, spoke six languages and was the
second poet in history to recite a poem at a
presidential inauguration. But what stands
out to me most about Maya Angelou is not
what she has done or written or spoken, it’s
how she lived her life. She moved through the
world with unshakeable calm, confidence and
a fierce grace. I loved her and I know she
loved me. I will profoundly miss her. She will
always be the rainbow in my clouds.
-Oprah Winfrey
“Michelle and I join millions in
remembering Maya Angelou, a
storyteller whose voice
convinced us we all have
something to offer”
-President Barack Obama
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