Maya Angelou, celebrated author and poet, to speak at UF Feb. 27

February 4, 2013

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The ACCENT Speaker’s Bureau, Black History Month, and Women’s History Month at the University of Florida will bring Maya Angelou, a poet, novelist and civil rights activist, to campus Feb. 27.

Best known for her autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Angelou’s résumé includes, among other positions, being an actress, educator, dramatist, producer and historian.

Angelo served on two presidential committees and has received various awards, including three Grammy Awards and a Presidential Medal of Arts. Her 1972 movie “Georgia, Georgia,” was the first screenplay by an African-American woman ever to be filmed.

Angelou is recognized as an influential leader in the African-American community and was an avid civil rights advocate, working alongside both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.

Angelou is currently the Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University. She has received more than 30 honorary degrees.

The program starts at 8 p.m. at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Doors open at 7 p.m. Photography will not be allowed during the program, but media may record and photograph during the first five minutes of the remarks. While admission is free and open to the public, ACCENT requests that guests bring jars of peanut butter and jelly, as well as other kid-friendly food items, for the students at Idlewild Elementary as part of UF’s Project Makeover.