Poet and philanthropist Maya Angelou was honored last night as this year's recipients of the Marian Anderson Award.
They received their awards last night at a gala at the Kimmel Center.
Mayor Nutter and Gov. Rendell attended the event, which included performances by Grammy-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin and singer Nicole Cabell. Broadway's Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder hosted the event, and showman Ben Vereen performed alongside the Philadelphia Orchestra.
The Marian Anderson Award, created in 1998 - five years after Anderson's death - is awarded to those who have used their positions of influence to further humanitarian causes and issues. Past winners include Harry Belafonte, Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor, Quincy Jones, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey.
Angelou, one of the world's best-known poets, also has written six autobiographies, while becoming an integral fixture in the civil-rights movement. Angelou has been nominated for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, and was one of only two American poets to read an original work at a presidential inauguration, according to her Web site.
She recited "On the Pulse of Morning" during President Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration.
Posted By: Minister Celeste Kelley
Wednesday, November 19th 2008 at 9:22AM
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