August 4, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Literary icon Maya Angelou will bring her powerful poetry and captivating delivery to the fifth University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center Gala, presented by BBVA Compass, on Friday, Sept. 25 in the Cahaba Grand Conference Center.
The black-tie affair will begin with a seated dinner at 7:30 p.m. Prior to Angelou's performance, NBA Hall of Fame basketball star and honorary gala chair Charles Barkley will host a reception in the same location at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for "An Evening with Maya Angelou" are $200; tickets for the reception are $100; combination tickets are $250. Tickets may be purchased by calling 205-975-5659 or online at www.uabmhrc.com/GALA.
Angelou, a Renaissance woman hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature, was the second poet to have the honor of writing and reciting an original work at a presidential inauguration. The reading of On the Pulse of Morning at Bill Clinton's inaugural ceremony in 1993 earned her a Grammy award. Her most recent work, Letter to My Daughter, won the 2008 NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Literary Work - Non-Fiction."
A lifetime Reynolds professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in North Carolina who speaks French, Spanish, Italian and West African Fanti, Angelou began her career in drama and dance. She has authored 12 best-selling books and numerous magazine articles for which she has received multiple Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award nominations.
Angelou is perhaps best known for her series of six autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly acclaimed, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, focuses on the first 17 years of her life. Later books include All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes, My Painted House and My Friendly Chicken and Me. She has published several volumes of verse, including And Still I Rise, Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou and Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Die.
Barkley, a Leeds native, champions the MHRC's efforts to reduce racial disparities in health care and hosts the center's annual galas. With his support, the MHRC has been able to develop numerous programs and research projects, including the Charles Barkley Health Disparities Fund that administers financial support to UAB faculty for research in health disparities. Barkley will announce the winners of the 2009 Charles Barkley Health Disparities Research Award to young investigators following Angelou's performance at the Sept. 25 gala.
About UAB
The UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC) is a comprehensive educational, research and community outreach center focused on eliminating the health disparities of racial/ethnic minorities and under-served populations.