Film Series
“Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise”
UN Remember Slavery Programme partners with African Burial Ground to screen documentary on Maya Angelou
On 18 February 2017, the United Nations Department of Public Information’s Remember Slavery Programme partnered with the African Burial Ground National Monument to host two screenings of the film “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” in New York This first documentary about Dr. Angelou is a celebration of her life as a renowned writer, artist and activist. It sheds light on facets of her life during several defining moments in the history of the United States while also showing the international scope of her vision and work.
The screenings included a discussion with the film’s co-director and producer, Rita Coburn Whack. Ms. Whack shared personal experiences with the audience, talking about the first time she read Dr. Angelou’s autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, her first interview of Dr. Angelou for public radio and her role as a former producer on Dr. Angelou's talk show on Oprah Radio. The moving tribute to Dr. Angelou’s legacy evoked both laughter and tears among the audience.
The free event was open to the public, and attendees included members of the diplomatic community, United Nations staff, academics, parents and students. The film premiered on 21 February 2017 on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States as one of the network’s Black History Month offerings in its American Masters series.
Attendees at the film screening included (from left to right): H.E. Ms. A. Missouri Sherman-Peter, Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to the United Nations; Ms. Rita Coburn Whack, co-director and producer of “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise”; and Ms. Omyma David, focal point for the United Nations Remember Slavery Programme