WEBVTT GOOD MORNING.GOOD MORNING.MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHINGLESSTHAN JESUS'LOVE ANDRIGHTEOUSNESS.I DO NOT TRUST THE SWEETESTFRIEND BUT ONLY LEAN ON JESUS'SNAME.ON CHRISTTHE SOLID ROCK ISTAND.WE'VE LOST THEROCK.I'MTOLD THAT I HAVE 10 MINUTES.[LAUGHTER]I DON'T KNOW HOW ONECONSOLIDATES OVER 50 YEARS OF ABOND TO 10 MINUTES.HOWEVER,[LAUGHTER]I BECAME AWARE OF MAYA ANGELOUAS SHE WAS NAMED AT THAT TIME.ON THECOVER OF A CALYPSO ALBUM.WHERE SHE DARED TOSING CALYPSOTUNES.NOW, I AM A PRODUCT OF THE WESTINDIES.AND MY SISTER AND I SAT DOWN ANDPLAYED IT AND PICK IT APART.[LAUGHTER]HOW DARE SHE?REALLY.IT WENT OVER ALL RIGHT.I MEAN, I WOULD NOT CHALLENGEHER.I FIRST MET HER IN1960 IN APLAY CALLED " THE BLACKS"WITH AFRENCHMAN GEORGE GENET.IT IS THE PLAY I BELIEVETHAT ISRESPONSIBLE FOR AVENUE ON CARDDEALER IN THIS COUNTRY.-- AVALON TWO GUARD THEATER INTHIS COUNTRY -- AVANT GARDE THEATER IN THIS COUNTRY.IT HAD A CAST OF MAYA, ROSCOELEE BROWNE, GODFREY CAMBRIDGE,JAMES EARL JONES, MYSELF, CHUCKORDONNE.THAT WAS THE BASIS OF BLACKTHEATER TODAY IN AMERICA.IT WAS MY FIRST PLAY.I WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT ROWWAITING FOR REHEARSAL TO START.I HEARD THIS BOOMINGVOICE WHOWAS CHALLENGING SOMEONE ABOUTSOMETHING.IT SCARED THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OFME.[LAUGHTER]I THOUGHT, OH GOD, THIS MUST BETHE BOSS.I GRIPPED MY SEAT AND I WAITED.I DID NOT TURN AROUND.WHEN THE PERSON FINALLY CAMEFORWARD, I STARTED LOOKING FROMHER FEET TO HER KNEES TO HERHIPS[LAUGHTER]OH MY GOD, I SAID, WHO IS SHE?SOMEONE HEARD THAT AND SAID,THAT IS MAYA ANGELOU.OK.ALL RIGHT.I SAID 1960 AND SHE INSISTED SHEMET ME IN 1959.MY COMPUTER DOES NOT SHOW THAT.[LAUGHTER]IN ANYCASE, THAT SHOW RAN FORTHREE YEARS AND DURING THECOURSE OF THAT THREE YEARS, ICAN TELL YOU THAT EVERYEMOTIONKNOWN TO MAN WASEXHIBITED BYMAYA.SHE HELD NOTHING.SHE SPOKE HER MIND NO MATTERWHAT THE SITUATION WAS.SHE AND DEBBIELINCOLN --ALINCOLNBBIEGOTTEN TOGETHE-- THEY HAVEGOTTEN TOGETHER AND I THOUGHTYOU SAT DOWN PUT PEN TO PAPERAND DID THE LYRIC AND THE MUSICAND THAT CONSTITUTED THE SONG.THEY NEEDED A SONG FOR THE PEACEAND SHE ANDABBEY STOOD AT THEPIANO AND HOME SOMETHING --HUMMED SOMETHING AND SOMEONEPLAYED ON THE PIANO AND THATBECAME THE SONG FOR THE SHOW.THREE DAYS LATER, SHE AND ABBEYCAME IN DEMAND AND CREDIT ANDPAY.[LAUGHTER]A THOUGHT TO MYSELF," FOR WHAT,WHAT DID THEY DO?"THEY HUMMEDSOMETHING.IT BECAME A MONSTROUS BATTLE.SHE AND THE PRODUCER AND THEDIRECTOR, THEY FINALLY -- SHEAND ABBEY WERE USHERED OUTSIDEAND WHATEVER THEY AGREE TO MAKEIT POSSIBLE FOR US TO GO ON WITHTHE SHOW.[LAUGHTER]ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO FASTFORWARD --I HAD NEVER, EVER SEEN MAYASPEECHLESS.THERE WASN'T AND STOOD TOCALLEDMAFENDI IN LOS ANGELES.THEY DECIDED TO COMBINE BOTH THEL.A. BLACKS COMPANY AND THE NEWYORK BLACKS COMPANY TOGETHER ANDDO A BENEFIT FOR THAT INSTITUTE.WELL,WE HAD A REHEARSAL THATLASTED ONE DAY.UH, AND EVERYBODY SAID TO ME--I WAS REALLY A DOUBLE.--DEVUIL.I KNOW THAT MYSELF.EVERYBODY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IWAS GOING TO DO WITH MY HAIR.I SAID, I DON'T KNOW.WHATEVER WAS NATURAL.THAT'S WHAT I WILL WEAR, MYHAIR.AND SO WEWENT THROUGH AREHEARSAL AND THEN THE FOLLOWINGDAY, WE WERE TO PERFORM.EVERYONE IN THE COMPANY WASDOWNSTAIRS AT THE STAGE ENTRANCEWAITING TO GO IN.I HAD NOT COME DOWN YET.I HAD NOT COME DOWN BECAUSEDURING A PERSONAL, I HAD MY HEADWRAPPED UP IN A KERCHIEF.NOBODY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ONUNDERNEATH THAT KERCHIEF.FINALLY, I CAME DOWN THE STAIRS.MAYA IS STANDING AT THE FOOT OFTHE STAIRS.SHE TURNS AROUND AND SHE LOOKSAT ME.I WAS ABSOLUTELY BALLED AND SHECOULD NOT TAKE HER EYES OFF ME.I SAW HER MOUTH MOVING.[LAUGHTER]BUT SHE COULD NOT SAY A WORD.FINALLY, SOMEBODY SENT FOR THEDIRECTOR.HE CAME AND TOOK ONE LOOK AT MEAND SAID I'M A LADIES, YOU HAVEYOUR WORK THAT OUT FOR YOU ISEVENING.IT'S THE BEST SHOW THAT WE EVERDID.FAST FORWARD --ONE MORE STORY --WHEN I WAS DOING" TRIP TOBOUNTIFUL" WE TALKED PRACTICALLYEVERY DAY.I KEPT HER BREAST OF WHAT WASGOING ON.ISAID TO HER I'M NOT GOING TOPUT ANY PRESSURE ON YOU, MAYA.I KNOW IF YOU COULD, YOU WOULDBE THERE.BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT'SGOING ON.I DID THAT EVERY DAY.I HAD A FRIEND COMING FROM LOSANGELES TO SEE THE SHOW ANDUSUALLY PEOPLE COME DOWNSTAIRSTO THE DRESSING ROOM TO SAYWHATEVER.AND THIS GENTLE MANCENTS AMESSAGE THAT HE COULD NOT COMEDOWNSTAIRS, THAT I WOULD HAVE TOCOME UP TO SEE HIM.WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM?I TALKED TO HIM YESTERDAY AND HEWAS FINE.WHY CANNOT HE COME DOWNSTAIRS?I DON'T KNOW.YOU HAVE TO GO UPSTAIRS, YOUHAVE TO GO UPSTAIRS, FINALLY, IDROPPED EVERYTHING I WAS DOING,WENT UPSTAIRS AND AT THE HEAD OFTHE STAIRSWAS MAYA.IN A WHEELCHAIR.I SAID THAT'S THE GIFT SHE LEFTME WITH.SHE TOOK THE TIME.DESPITE THEPAIN THAT SHE WASSUFFERING.TO RIDE ON THAT BUS, TO COME ALLTHE WAY UP TO THE SONDHEIMTHEATER.TO SEE ME.AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, SHELOVED EVERY MINUTE.THIS BONDIS A TIE THAT NEVER WILL BEBROKEN.I WILL LOVE YOU ALWAYS.THANK YOU.[APPLAUSE]