Maya Angelou lived a life that impacted millions — and her legacy will live forever.
Among the many lives Angelou touched was Melissa Harris-Perry, who shared her memories of Angelou on her weekend MSNBC show.
Harris-Perry was once a student of Angelou’s when the legendary poet taught at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. The two quickly grew a close relationship, and years later, Angelou hosted Harris-Perry’s wedding reception in her home.
“I was 18 when I met Dr. Angelou. I knew nothing, and I didn’t even have enough sense to know I knew so little. She simply could have graded my papers and sent me away, but instead, she became my beloved mentor and guide,” Harris-Perry said on her show.
“Her generosity was unparalleled, but she wasn’t even a little bit sentimental… Dr. Angelou is the reason I believed it was possible to be a teacher and a writer and a parent and to have a public persona. She was — she is — my model of how to fully live and how to do so with integrity.”
Watch the full clip here:
