List of honors received by Maya Angelou

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Maya Angelou reciting her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993.

African-American writer and poet Maya Angelou (1928–2015) was honored by universities, literary organizations, government agencies, and special interest groups. Her honors include a Pulitzer Prize nomination for her book of poetry Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie, a Tony Award nomination for her role in the 1973 play Look Away, and five Grammys for her spoken albums. Beginning in 1982, Angelou held the first lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

She served on two presidential committees – for Gerald Ford in 1975 and for Jimmy Carter in 1977. In 2000, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton. In 2010, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S., by President Barack Obama.

More than thirty health care and medical facilities have been named after Angelou.^[1] She was awarded more than fifty honorary degrees.^[2] Rollins College, a liberal arts institution in Winter Park, Florida, honored Angelou in several ways, including numerous invitations to speak to its student body, an honorary degree in 1985, the institution of the Maya Angelou Resource Library in 1989, and a stone dedicated to her on the campus's Walk of Fame in 1994.^[3]

Awards

Year	Honor	Notes	Ref.
1970	Chubb Fellowship	Given by Yale University, provides the recipient with an opportunity to make a public address open to the Yale and New Haven communities, as well as a meal, reception, or seminar with groups of students and faculty	[4]
1971	Coretta Scott King Award	Given to African-American authors and illustrators of books for children and young people	[5]
1972	Pulitzer Prize nomination	For Angelou's first book of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie	[6]
1973	Tony Award nomination	For her role in the Broadway play Look Away	[7]
1975–76	Member, American Revolution Bicentennial Council	Appointed by President Gerald Ford; The council developed and planned activities and events celebrating the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution.	[7]
1975	Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Resident	Competitive residency program at the foundation's property in Bellagio, Italy, where scholars and artists from all over the world work on projects of their own choosing for a period of four weeks	[8]
1976	Ladies' Home Journal "Woman of the Year in Communication" Award	Yearly award given by the magazine	[7]
1977	Member, Presidential Commission for International Women's Year	Appointed by President Jimmy Carter, the commission was established to make recommendations to end barriers to women's equality in the U.S.	[9]
1981	Reynold's Professor of American Studies, Wake Forest University	Lifetime appointment	[10]
1983	Ladies' Home Journal "Top 100 Most Influential Women"	Yearly award given by the magazine	[7]
1983	Matrix Award	Given by the New York Association for Women in Communications to women who excel in the field of communication	[11]
1984	Member, North Carolina Arts Council	Committee that gives recommendations to the state's art counsel, especially its policies regarding the arts	[10]
1986	Fulbright Program 40th Anniversary Distinguished Lecturer	Recognition by the U.S. Department of State for African Americans who have contributed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries ..."	[12]
1987	North Carolina Award in Literature	Highest honor bestowed by North Carolina; recognizes residents for contributions in scholarship, research, the fine arts, and public leadership	[13]
1990	Golden Plate Award, Academy of Achievement	Given for accomplishments in the sciences, business, industry, arts, literature, sports, entertainment, and public service	[14]
1990	Candace Award, National Coalition of 100 Black Women	Given to African-American women for leadership and achievement	[15]
1991	Langston Hughes Medal	Awarded to African-American writers who explore their cultural heritage	[16]
1992	Horatio Alger Award	Yearly award to those "who have overcome adversity and made significant contributions in their fields"	[17]
1992	Distinguished Woman of North Carolina award	Given by the North Carolina Council for Women to women who make major contributions in the arts, business, education, government, recreation, or volunteerism	[18]
1992	Crystal Award	Honors women who have helped expand the role of women in entertainment	[19]
1992	St. Louis Walk of Fame	Honors individuals from the St. Louis, Missouri area who made major national contributions to our cultural heritage.	[20]
1993	Inaugural Poet	Named for reading her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at President Bill Clinton's inauguration	[21]
1993	Arkansas Black Hall of Fame	Part of the first group of those native to Arkansas honored as role models for young people	[22]
1993	Grammy, "Best Spoken Word Album"	First Grammy, for inaugural poem "On the Pulse of Morning"	[23]
1994	Rollins College Walk of Fame	Stone dedicated on campus walkway made up of rocks and bricks from the homes of over 600 historical figures	[24] [25]
1994	Spingarn Medal	Given by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for outstanding achievement by an African American	[26]
1994	Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award	Presented by Wellesley College for her soaring inspiration to live life with intensity, integrity and intelligence.	[26]
1995	Frank G. Wells American Teachers Award	Recognizes those outside the teaching profession who teach	[27]
1995	Grammy, "Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album"	For Angelou's performance of her poem Phenomenal Woman	[28]
1996	American Ambassador	Given by UNICEF to assist with their fundraising efforts	[29]
1997	NAACP Image Award	Honors African Americans' accomplishments in film, television, music, and literature, and for Angelou's work in nonfiction	[30]
1997	Homecoming Award	Given every two years by the Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers to authors from the U.S. South and Southwest	[31]
1998	Alston-Jones International Civil & Human Rights Award	Bestowed by the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina, honoring individuals who have contributed to the Civil Rights movement[32]	[18]
1998	National Women's Hall of Fame	Inducted for making contributions to society and for the freedom and progress of women	[33]
1999	Christopher Award	The Christophers' annual media award, given to Angelou for her directorial debut (Down in the Delta)	[34]
1999	Shelia Award	Given by the Tubman African American Museum annually to "extraordinary black women of achievement"	[35]
2000	National Medal of Arts	Awarded by President Bill Clinton; Selected by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts and awarded by the President of the United States to Americans who have contributed to the arts and culture	[36]
2002	Lifetime Achievement Award	Given as part of the Ethnic Multicultural Media Awards (EMMAs) presented at the annual Hay Festival of Literature & Arts in Wales	[37]
2002	Grammy, "Best Spoken Word Album"	For the audio book of A Song Flung Up to Heaven, Angelou's sixth autobiography	[38]
2003	Museum of Tolerance "Finding Our Families, Finding Ourselves" multimedia exhibit	Featured with Billy Crystal, Joe Torre, and Carlos Santana	[39]
2004	Charles Evans Hughes Award	Presented by the National Conference for Community and Justice for civic and humanitarian contributions	[40]
2005	Heart's Day Honoree	Presented during Howard University English Department's annual celebration and conference	[41]
2006	Mother Teresa Award	Presented by the St. Bernadette Institute of Sacred Art in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after being nominated by the public at large	[42]
2007	Martha Parker Legacy Award	Given by the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance studio in Denver; attendees of the ceremony were served dishes from Angelou's cookbook Hallelujah! The Welcome Table	[43]
2008	Voice of Peace award	First recipient of award presented by the Hope for Peace and Justice Center in Dallas; also in honor of Angelou's 80th birthday	[44]
2008	Gracie Award	Honors accomplishments in the media; for Angelou's radio show on XM Radio	[45]
2008	Marian Anderson Award	Honors "artists whose leadership benefits humanity"	[46]
2008	Lincoln Medal	Presented by Ford's Theatre to those who exemplify the legacy and character embodied by President Abraham Lincoln	[47]
2009	Literary Award	Given by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, recognizing excellence in adult fiction and nonfiction written by African Americans	[48]
2010	Presidential Medal of Freedom	The highest American civilian honor; awarded by President Barack Obama	[49]
2012	Black Cultural Society Award	Given by Elon University in North Carolina, for humanitarian contributions for the promotion of world cultures	[50]
2013	Literarian Award	Given by the National Book Foundation, to those whose work has "enhanced the literary world during a lifetime of service"	[51]
2013	Norman Mailer Prize (Lifetime Achievement)	Given by the Norman Mailer Center and The Norman Mailer Writers Colony to celebrate writers and their works	[52]
2014	Conference of Minority Transportation Officials Lifetime Achievement award	Given to celebrate the contributions of women leaders who work in transportation, and to recognize Angelou for being the first Black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco.	[53]
2015	Stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service	The stamp features a quote, "A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song", which was often cited by Angleou during interviews, but was written by Joan Walsh Anglund in 1967. President Obama wrongly attributed the sentence to Angelou during the presentation of the 2013 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal.	[54]

Honorary degrees

President Barack Obama presenting Angelou with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2011

• Smith College, 1975^[55]
• Mills College, 1975^[55]
• Lawrence University, 1976^[56]
• Wake Forest University, 1977^[57]
• Columbia College Chicago, 1979^[58]
• Wheaton College, 1981^[59]
• Boston College, 1983^[60]
• Rollins College, 1985^[3]
• Howard University, 1985^[61]
• Tufts University, 1985^[62]
• Mount Holyoke College, 1987^[63]
• University of Southern California, 1989^[64]
• Northeastern University, 1992^[65]
• Lafayette College, 1999^[66]
• Hope College, 2001^[67]
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2003^[68]
• Eastern Connecticut State University, 2003^[69]
• Columbia University in the City of New York, 2003^[70]
• Chapman University, 2007^[71]
• Shenandoah University, 2008^[72]
• University of Redlands, 2011^[73]

Citations

1. Craver, Richard. (2012-12-12). "Forsyth center for women's health named after Angelou". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 2012-12-29
2. Stanley, Alessandra. (1992-05-17). "Whose Honor Is It, Anyway". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-01-10
3. Rafiuddin, Mahjabeen. (2011-03-01). "Maya Angelou and Rollins: A Reflection". Rollins College. Retrieved 2013-01-10
4. "Past Fellows A—Z". Yale University. The Chubb Fellowship at Timothy Dwight College. Retrieved 2012-12-27
5. "Honor: Angelou, Maya". (2009). In Smith, Henrietta M. The Coretta Scott King Awards: 1970–2009 (4th edition). Chicago, Illinois: American Library Association, p. 43. ISBN 978-0-8389-3584-2
6. Lupton, p. 17
7. Lupton, p. 25
8. "The Mix: Residents" Rockefeller Foundation. Retrieved 2012-12-28
9. Woolley, John T. and Gerhard Peters. (1977-03-28). "National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, 1975 Appointment of Members and Presiding Officer of the Commission". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 2007-10-06
10. Lupton, p. 26
11. "Matrix Awards Hall of Fame". New York Women in Communications. Retrieved 2012-12-28
12. "U.S. Department of State Recognizes Contributions of African-American Fulbright Program Alumni". (2001-02-28). U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 2007-09-18
13. "North Carolina Awards". (1987). North Carolina Awards Commission. OCLC 08187216. Retrieved 2012-12-28
14. "1977–1992 Golden Plate Recipients" American Academy of Achievement. Retrieved 2012-12-28
15. Anderson, Susan Heller. (1990-07-17). "Chronicle". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-12
16. Knight, Gladys L. (2011). "Angelou, Maya (1928– ), Poet, Writer". In Smith, Jessie Carney. Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood Publishers, p. 55. ISBN 978-0-313-35797-8
17. Brozan, Nadine. (1993-04-02). "Chronicle". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-12
18. Groner, Rachael. (2004). "Maya Angelou (1928–)." In Cullum, Linda E. Contemporary American Ethnic Poets: Lives, Works, Sources. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing, p. 26. ISBN 0-313-32484-0
19. "Past Recipients, Crystal Award". Women in Film. Retrieved 2012-12-28
20. "St. Louis Walk of Fame Home". Stlouiswalkoffame.org. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
21. Manegold, Catherine S. (1993-01-20). "An Afternoon with Maya Angelou; A Wordsmith at Her Inaugural Anvil". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-12-28
22. "Arkansas' First Black Hall of Fame Names Six Renowned Achievers as First Inductees". (1994-01-04). Jet Magazine, p. 22. Retrieved 2012-12-28
23. Gillespie et al., p. 142
24. Harvey, Steve. (1994-07-07). "Only in L.A." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-12-28
25. "Maya Angelou and the Walk of Fame". (January 1994). Rollins College Digital Collections. Retrieved 2012-12-28
26. Shestack, Marciarose. (1994-08-03). "A Poet Rises Above The Occasion". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2012-12-28
27. Jaquin, Eileen O. (2002). "Maya Angelou (1928–)". In Nelson, Emmanuel S. African American Autobiographers: A Sourcebook. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing, p. 16. ISBN 0-313-31409-8
28. "Spoken-Word Audio Grammys Given". (1996-04-01). Publishers Weekly, 243 (14), p. 18
29. Louie, Elaine. (1996-10-29). "Chronicle". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-12
30. Gray, Timothy M. (1998-03-03). "NAACP Image nods to 'Soul Food,' 'Touched'". Variety. Retrieved 2012-12-29
31. "1997 Homecoming Award Winner: Maya Angelou". Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers. Retrieved 2007-10-10
32. Hairston, Jr., Otis L. (2007). Picturing Greensboro: Four Decades of African American Community. Charleston, North Carolina: The History Press, p. 93. ISBN 978-1-59629-284-0
33. "Women's hall to enshrine Albright and Angelou". (1998-12-19). Deseret News. Retrieved 2012-12-29
34. "Maya Angelou, Steven Spielberg honored by the Christophers". (1999-02-26). Catholic World News. Retrieved 2012-12-30
35. "The Shelia Awards". Tubman African American Museum. Retrieved 2012-12-30
36. ""Sculptor, painter among National Medal of Arts winners". (2000-12-20). CNN. Retrieved 2007-10-12
37. "Hay closes chapter for Angelou". (2002-06-05). BBC. Retrieved 2007-10-11
38. "The Winners". (2003-02-24). The Vindicator. Retrieved 2013-01-05
39. Dutka, Elaine (2003-02-07). "Four people you know, the histories you don't". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-12-11
40. "Dr. Maya Angelou and John E. Pepper receive NCCJ'S highest award!" (September 2004). NCCJ News, 8, p. 1. Retrieved 2013-01-05
41. "Maya Angelou is Honored by the Department of English on Heart's Day". Flagship: College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter (Howard University). Retrieved 2006-09-25
42. "2006 Mother Teresa Awards". (2007-03-16). St. Bernadette Institute of Sacred Art (Albuquerque, New Mexico), 2 (1), p. 2. Retrieved 2013-01-05
43. Davidson, Joanne. (2007-10-16). "Maya Angelou on tape, Sinbad in the flesh". Denver Post. Retrieved 2007-10-22
44. "Local Briefs". (2008-02-14). Dallasvoice.com. Retrieved 2013-01-05
45. "Gracies graced with many TVNewsers". (2008-05-29). Mediabistro.com. Retrieved 2008-06-11
46. "Angelou, Lear named for 2008 Marian Anderson Award". (2008-08-08). USA Today. (Associated Press). Retrieved 2013-01-10
47. "Ford's Theatre Lincoln Medal". Ford's Theatre. Retrieved 2013-01-18
48. "Past BCALA Literary Award Winners". Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Retrieved 2012-12-29
49. Mianecki, Julie. (2011-02-15). "Obama awards Medal of Freedom to George H.W. Bush, Maya Angelou and 13 others". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-01-10
50. Townsend, Eric. (2012-10-05). "'Renaissance woman' Maya Angelou dazzles at Fall Convocation" E-Net News. Elon University. Retrieved 2012-12-29
51. "Dr. Maya Angelou Honored with 2013 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2013-11-02
52. Italie, Hillel (2013-10-17). "Maya Angelou accepts Mailer Center lifetime award". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2013-10-18. Retrieved 2013-12-03
53. Brown, DeNeen L. (2014-03-12). "Maya Angelou honored for her first job as a street car conductor in San Francisco". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
54. Kevin McSpadden (2015-04-09). "Maya Angelou Stamp With a Quote From Another Poet Won't be Reissued". Time.com. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
55. Lupton, p. 16
56. "Alphabetical List of Honorary Degree Recipients". Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisconsin). Retrieved 2007-10-12
57. Gillespie et al., p. 126
58. "Honorary Degree Recipients". Columbia College Chicago. Retrieved 2013-01-10
59. "Maya Angelou, Commencement speaker". Wheaton College History (Norton, Massachusetts). Retrieved 2013-01-10
60. "Honorary Degrees Awarded by Boston College". Boston College, p. 104. Retrieved 2013-01-10
61. "Recipients of Honorary Degrees (Alpha Order)". Howard University Office of the Secretary. Retrieved 2013-01-10
62. "Honorary Degrees". Tufts University Office of the Trustees. Retrieved 2013-01-12
63. "Commencements; Mount Holyoke". (1987-05-25). The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-12
64. Caskey, Melissa. (2011-09-08). "Poet Maya Angelou shares her prose and inspiration". Daily Trojan. Retrieved 2013-01-12
65. "Commencement Speakers & Honorary Degrees". Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections. Retrieved 2013-01-12
66. "Lafayette College Honorary Degree Recipients 1995–2011". Lafayette College. Retrieved 2013-01-12
67. "Hope College Honorary Degree Recipients – 1866 to 2012". Hope College President's Office. Retrieved 2013-01-12
68. Green, Kesha. (2002-04-26). "Commencement May 12 to Feature Maya Angelou". University of Illinois News Bureau. Retrieved 2007-10-14
69. Hosten, Allissa. (2003-07-28). "Commencement Keynotes: Celebrities Offer Words of Pomp and Circumstance to the Class of 2003". Jet, p. 25. Retrieved 2013-01-12
70. Columbia News. "Columbia University 2003 Commencement" Retrieved 2014-05-28
71. "Maya Angelou Receives Honorary Doctorate". (2007-02-26). Chapman University. Retrieved 2013-01-12
72. "Angelou awarded honorary doctorate degree". (2008-09-26). UPI.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-09-28
73. Sears, Jan. (2011-03-24). "Redlands: Maya Angelou awarded honorary doctorate". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved 2013-01-12

Works cited

• Gillespie, Marcia Ann, Rosa Johnson Butler, and Richard A. Long. (2008). Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0-385-51108-7
• Lupton, Mary Jane (1998). Maya Angelou: A Critical Companion. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-30325-8

External links

• Official Website of Maya Angelou