Collegiate Times

Maya Angelou speaks at Burruss Hall for Martin Luther King Day.

Martin Luther King Day brought laughs and tears when one of America's most influential writers came to speak to a sold-out crowd

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Best-selling author Maya Angelou spoke to 3,000 people in Burruss Hall, as well an additional 1,000 people in Squires Haymarket Theatre via overflow seating. This was the first Martin Luther King Day performance that offered overflow seating, where the audience watched Angelou's lecture live on a projection screen.

Before her performance, Angelou met with young men and women who survived April 16. When she got on the stage, Angelou's introduction started out as a song. She continued to incorporate the spiritual song with lyrics surrounding rainbows in the clouds all throughout her speech.

"I realized that this university showed this country what a rainbow in the clouds really is, and in the worst of times we have a chance to come together and be courageous and loving," Angelou said. "I encourage you young men and women, have rainbows in your clouds. Be the rainbow in somebody else's cloud."

Angelou smiled and laughed all throughout her speech, as the audience smiled and laughed along with her. She explained that she does not trust people who do not laugh, and she encourages all young people to laugh. Angelou told several jokes including an African saying that reads, "be careful when a naked person offers you his shirt."

Reading several of her poems, Angelou did not stick to one particular type of work. She shared a piece about her love of meat and experience as a long-time smoker, as well as poems of hardships and love in her life.

"I am pleased that you invited me to come on this particular day," Angelou said. "Some people think that (Martin Luther King) was larger than life, but that is not true. The truth is, young men and women need to know that (Martin Luther King) was a human being. Young people think that he was a superhuman and bigger than life, but then they think they cannot be like him, and they can."