Black Women Entertainers Unite For a Beautiful Recitation of Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise"

Published on June 7, 2020 at 4:58 PM

Maya Angelou's poem "Still I Rise" is forever empowering, and on Sunday, June 7, Black women entertainers came together to deliver a special performance for this year's graduates. As part of YouTube's "Dear Class of 2020" virtual commencement, Janelle Monáe, Kelly Rowland, Misty Copeland, Shonda Rhimes, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Yara Shahidi recited the piece with Madison Calley on the harp and Naya Lovell dancing.

The women took turns reciting iconic lines like, "Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? Cause I walk like I've got oil wells pumping in my living room." Clips of Angelou herself were also included to bring everything together. Watch the full video above to see the beautiful rendition for yourself.

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Black Women Entertainers Unite For a Beautiful Recitation of Maya Angelou's "Still I Rise"

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