Mayor Edwin Lee and Glide today announced that San Francisco will host a civic celebration to remember and honor the life and legacy of U.S. Poet Laureate, renowned author and civil rights leader Dr. Maya Angelou in Glide’s Sanctuary at 330 Ellis Street on Sunday, June 15th starting at 1 p.m. Seating is limited, but there will be an overflow viewing area outside in front of Glide.

“Dr. Maya Angelou’s fight for civil rights inspired and touched a generation, and San Francisco stands proud to have called her a resident, friend and teacher,” said Mayor Lee. “She was a hero to the world, and I am thankful that her words live on to teach and inspire the next generation. Her life and legacy have had a profound impact in San Francisco and beyond, and we will celebrate Dr. Angelou who forever changed our hearts, minds and the world.”

“Maya Angelou had the ability to reach into your soul with her words, pull out your joy, and make it alive to you in a way that you saw yourself anew,” said Glide Co-Founder and Minister of Liberation Reverend Cecil Williams.

“Similarly, she could reach into and know what your wound was, pull it out, and unfold it so that you could see the shame and make it vanish into a piece of paper where your truth can come alive and regain the courage to be who you truly are,” said Glide Co-Founder Janice Mirikitani.

The civic memorial will bring together diverse communities to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou. The celebration of Dr. Angelou’s life – one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time – will feature songs, poetry and special words by Mayor Lee, Glide Co-Founders Reverend Cecil Williams and Janice Mirikitani, and other dignitaries as well as a special performance by the renowned Glide Ensemble. The Dr. Maya Angelou Celebration of Life is free and open to the public. Parking is limited and public transportation is encouraged.

On Wednesday, May 28, 2014, Dr. Angelou passed into glory, at the blessed age of 86, in her Winston-Salem home, in North Carolina. Her son, Guy Johnson, grandchildren, and multitude of friends mourn her passing, but also celebrate her iridescent life spanning historical U.S. eras-from the era of Jim Crow laws to the Age of Obama, from Women’s Liberation to the LGBT Movement, from the Great Depression to the Great Recession, from World War II to the New Millennium. Throughout these turbulent and heroic times, Dr. Angelou’s truth of social justice, radical inclusion, and unconditional love have permeated literature and social platforms.

Dr. Angelou’s ties to San Francisco were also deep, having lived in San Francisco where she wrote about her experiences. She grew up in the Fillmore District, graduated from Mission High School, studied dance and drama, and  became the first African-American female street car conductor in San Francisco.

Dr. Angelou was a member of the Glide community, and alongside Rev. Cecil Williams and Janice Mirikitani, she inspired local and global communities to embrace love, faith and each other.

About Glide
Located at Ellis and Taylor in the Tenderloin, one of San Francisco’s harshest urban environments, Glide is an oasis that has served the poor and disenfranchised for 50 years. Glide is unconditional in its love, support and commitment to the community it serves – providing a range of holistic services from serving nearly one million free meals a year, to proving affordable housing, free or low-cost state-of-the-art healthcare along with dozens of other programs that help to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization.  With an unwavering commitment grounded in spirituality and emotional understanding, Glide is a leading organization for social justice – inspiring the larger community to celebrate humanity through compassion, generosity and acceptance. For more information, go to: www.glide.org.