The White House today released this statement on the death of poet and author Maya Angelou (unedited here):
Statement
by the President on the Passing of Maya Angelou
When
her friend Nelson Mandela passed away last year, Maya Angelou wrote
that “No sun outlasts its sunset, but will rise again, and bring the
dawn.”
Today,
Michelle and I join millions around the world in remembering one of the
brightest lights of our time – a brilliant writer, a fierce friend, and
a truly phenomenal
woman. Over the course of her remarkable life, Maya was many things –
an author, poet, civil rights activist, playwright, actress, director,
composer, singer and dancer. But above all, she was a storyteller – and
her greatest stories were true. A childhood
of suffering and abuse actually drove her to stop speaking – but the
voice she found helped generations of Americans find their rainbow
amidst the clouds, and inspired the rest of us to be our best selves.
In fact, she inspired my own mother to name my sister
Maya.
Like
so many others, Michelle and I will always cherish the time we were
privileged to spend with Maya. With a kind word and a strong embrace,
she had the ability to remind
us that we are all God’s children; that we all have something to
offer. And while Maya’s day may be done, we take comfort in knowing
that her song will continue, “flung up to heaven” – and we celebrate the
dawn that Maya Angelou helped bring.
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