You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
– Maya Angelou
Of her many gifts, rising was what Renaissance woman Maya Angelou seemed to do best.
She rose out of the clutches of sexual abuse, beyond the stereotypes and statistics of teen mothers, and out of the grips of racism and segregation to become an international treasure.
Next Thursday, March 24, audiences will be able to see for themselves when her life goes on display in the place where it all began.
Washington University Libraries and the Missouri History Museum will present the St. Louis premiere of the new documentary “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” as part of Washington University Libraries’ Henry Hampton Film Series at the History Museum.
Angelou’s life was so full and complex that even the gifted writer herself couldn’t have imagined the personal, professional and creative adventures of her storied existence.
She somehow managed to pack about two centuries of living into 86 years before she passed away in 2014.
With her impactful words and profound wisdom in particular, Angelou compelled generations to rise as well – and be a version of themselves that God would smile upon.
Named in honor of her most famous poem, “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in January 2016.
It is the first feature documentary about the world-renowned writer, performer and activist.
The film provides a comprehensive look at Angelou’s life and work, including her St. Louis roots, her years in Ghana during the decolonization of Africa, her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, and her tenure as one of America’s most influential voices.
From Alvin Ailey to Oprah Winfrey, Angelou’s wise counsel and encouragement left lasting impressions on cultural giants and global influencers.
Angelou’s art and life were always intertwined with her politics, as evidenced by her close ties to civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, as well as her friendship with fellow uncompromising author James Baldwin.
Her countless accolades include being the recipient of both the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom – and she was chosen to deliver her poem “On the Pulse of the Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration.
In doing so, she became only the second poet, and first African American, to recite a poem as part of the presidential inauguration festivities.
She has also received dozens of honorary doctorates from higher learning institutions around the world.
Winfrey, Quincy Jones, and Bill and Hillary Clinton are among those who pay tribute to Angelou and her complex and varied life in “And Still I Rise.”
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
The Henry Hampton Film Series was established in 2014 by the Washington University Libraries’ Film & Media Archive. The Hampton Film Series seeks to share the stories of underrepresented groups through the medium of documentary film. The series is named after Henry Hampton, a St. Louis native and Washington University alum who in 1968 created Blackside, Inc., the largest African American-owned documentary film production company of its time. Blackside created what is still considered the most definitive documentary series on the civil rights movement, “Eyes on the Prize.”
“Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” will screen at 7 p.m. at the Missouri History Museum’s Lee Auditorium, 5700 Lindell Blvd., on Thursday, March 24. Eugene B. Redmond, scholar, educator, poet and longtime friend of Angelou, will join the film’s co-director Rita Coburn Whack for an audience Q&A after the screening.
The screening is free, but seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. To help manage the expected crowds,attendees mustacquire a(free) ticketto enter the Auditorium at the event.
Tickets will be issued at the south museum entrance. Attendees cannot pick up tickets fromfriends or family – each attendee must be present to get the free ticket. For more information about the event, visit www.mohistory.org or call (314) 746-4599. Due to the great interest in this screening and because seating is limited a (free) ticket is required to enter the Auditorium. Tickets will be issued at the south Museum entrance.
• Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis
• One ticket per person (you can’t pick up extra tickets for your friends/family)
• No saved seats in the Auditorium Due to the great interest in this screening and because seating is limited a (free) ticket is required to enter the Auditorium. Tickets will be issued at the south Museum entrance.
• Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis
• One ticket per person (you can’t pick up extra tickets for your friends/family)
• No saved seats in the Auditorium
