First Lady Michelle Obama will officially speak at the memorial service of author and poet, Maya Angelou on Saturday. Jonathan Capehart, reporter for the Washington Post and MSNBC confirmed the speech earlier today on Twitter.
BREAKING: First Lady Michelle Obama to speak at funeral of Maya Angelou this weekend at Wake Forest University.
— Jonathan Capehart (@CapehartJ) June 5, 2014
The private ceremony will take place at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, where the Angelou began teaching 1982. The service is closed to the public, however, the university will be live-streaming the memorial,USA Today reports.
The award winning author, poet and civil rights activist died last week at her home in North Carolina. According to Fox8, she had been reportedly battling health problems prior to her death. She was 86.
In an essay for Essence magazine, Angelou recalls asking Oprah Winfrey for advice about what to expect Mrs. Obama was like. She praises the first lady saying that she had “effortless grace” and how proud she was to see her as the First Lady.
The University said Angelou’s family will have additional celebrations of her life across the country.