25 of my favorite quotes by Dr. Maya Angelou.

The memorial blanket created by Nancy Burban for The 100 Black Women of Funeral Service
for Dr. Angelou's Homegoing  service.

Maya Angelou has gone to her final reward at the age of 86, but the great American writer and poet left behind a body of work that ranks among the greatest in world literature. She left a legacy for today and generations to come.

Statement from Dr. Maya Angelou’s Family:

"Dr. Maya Angelou passed quietly in her home before 8:00 a.m. EST. Her family is extremely grateful that her ascension was not belabored by a loss of acuity or comprehension. She lived a life as a teacher, activist, artist and human being. She was a warrior for equality, tolerance and peace. The family is extremely appreciative of the time we had with her and we know that she is looking down upon us with love." Guy Johnson

Global Renaissance Woman

Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. Hailed as a global renaissance woman, Dr. Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.

Here are 25 of my favorite Maya Angelou quotes.

1. “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”

2.” Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope. “

3. “If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.”

4. “I encourage courtesy. To accept nothing less than courtesy, and to give nothing less than courtesy. If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And if we have the effrontery to talk to anybody with less than courtesy, we tell ourselves and the world we are not very intelligent.”

5. “If you get, give. If you learn, teach.”

6. “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

7. “All great achievements require time.”

8. “Courage allows the successful woman to fail and learn powerful lessons from the failure – so that in the end, she didn’t fail at all.”

9. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

10. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.”

11. “I know for sure that love saves me and that it is here to save us all.”

12. “I’m a woman Phenomenally.” 

13. “Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.”

14. “Nothing will work unless you do.”

15. “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.”

16. “When you know better, you do better.”

17. ”It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.”

18. ”My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

19. ”Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”

20.“The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise.”

21.”We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”

22.”Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.”

23. “My life has been long, and believing that life loves the liver of it, I have dared to try many things, sometimes trembling, but daring still.”

24. “Listen to yourself and in that quietude, you might hear the voice of God.”

(This was her last tweet on Twitter before she passed)

And my personal favorite:

25. "A great soul serves everyone all the time. A great soul never dies. 

        It brings us together again and again."


Dr. Angelou’s words and actions continue to stir our souls, energize our bodies, liberate our minds, and heal our hearts. We will miss you. You were a "Phenomenal woman".

Memorial Services

Nancy Burban 2014