words of wisdom

Last night I had the honor of attending an awards ceremony at NYU's Institute of African Affairs—the indomitable Maya Angelou was there to accept an award from OWWA (the Organization of Women Writers of Africa). I'm new to the board of OWWA and definitely felt out of my element (yes, I wore cute shoes that hurt my feet) but this past week has been pretty difficult and it was wonderful to be in a room full of folks who love literature and cherish black women's creativity. I was responsible for interviewing folks with my Flip camera and before my batteries died, I managed to capture Maya's acceptance speech. Jayne Cortez, co-founder of OWWA, introduces her husband, sculptor Melvin Edwards, who presents Maya with one of his works of art; Maya then sings, recites poetry, and shares words of wisdom about making the most of your talent and time on this earth:

[image error]