From the program booklet: Celebration of Life ceremony
First-lady Michelle
Obama, former president Bill Clinton, and long time friend Oprah Winfrey were among attendees in the
front row to honor Angelou with colorful stories and reflections.
Angelou is a renaissance
figure who died May 28 at the age of 86. She died after a life of many notable accomplishments including her role in civil rights and as winner of the
Presidential Medal of Freedom award. She was honored on Saturday, June 7 at Wake Forest University during a 10 a.m. ceremony that lasted around two and a half hours.
“There is no mourning here, there
is no mourning,” her son, Guy Johnson spoke about the passing of his mother. His
grandson accompanied him to the microphone stand. “We have added to the
population of angels.”
His words spoke about how humanity
and the planet Earth can use the works of everyone that can carry on the legacy
of his mother. He talked of how his mom left this Earth in her sleep on May 28 after a
battle with respiratory failure.
“She has left each one of us with
something in our hearts,” he said after he released a sigh filled with emotion.
The ceremony began with words from Angelou’s grandson, Elliott Jones, reciting words from Angelou’s
famous poem, “Still I Rise.”
Friends Cicely Tyson, Oprah and
singers BB and Marvin Winans took to the podium to remember their friend
Angelou through song and reflections.
“We celebrate one of the greatest
spirits the world has ever known,” Michelle Obama says about Angelou.
The first lady spoke right after BB
Winans and his brother Marvin Winans moved the crowd to the gospel song, “Stand.”
Other songs sang at the celebration
of life ceremony included, “I Hope you Dance,” “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” “God Put
a Rainbow in the Clouds” and “Remember Me.”
Angelou’s pastor Dr. Serenus Churn of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Winston-Salem gave the message that was taken from Proverbs 31:10: Who can find a virtuous
woman?
He took this scripture and noted
that as The Bible sparked this question he wanted to describe how he would dare to
nominate Angelou as a virtuous woman for reasons as her strong faith and desire to give.
Oprah fought back tears as she
spoke of her prominent relationship with Angelou and she recalled a
conversation with her "sister-friend."
“I remember when I was about to
open my school in South Africa and I told her how it was going to be my legacy
and I remember she told me, ‘not so fast’,” Oprah remembered.
She said how Angelou told her that
your legacy is every woman that every watched your show and decided to go back
to school and she listed several other examples before saying, “Your legacy is every person you ever touched.”
“I can’t fill her shoes, but I can walk in her
footsteps,”
– Oprah
– Oprah
Some of the remarks from the celebration:
"My hope is built on
nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness" Cicely Tyson reflects on
her 50 yr bond with #MayaAngelou
Bobby Jones from BET
Gospel morning show sings "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" - song he
sang with #MayaAngelou
"Mr. Wake
Forest" himself Ed Wilson now at the podium to speak about his
relationship #MayaAngelou and
her teachings at @WakeForest1834
"Whatever it is, you
have the courage and faith to know, God put a rainbow in the clouds."
Oprah remembers something #MayaAngelou told her.
Grandson acknowledges Wake
Forest University and says famous #MayaAngelou quote ".....People will never forget how you made them feel."
- LINK TO PROGRAM: http://mayaangelou.wfu.edu/files/maya-angelou-program1.pdf
*I am only a writer that has lost her literary idol. As a Wake Forest University graduate, I just wanted to honor a fellow member of the WFU family. Tweeting and writing was the only way that I knew how to share the celebration of the life of Dr. Maya Angelou. You will be missed. - Brittney S. Knox
