© 2026 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

WATCH: Maya Angelou's Poem For Nelson Mandela

Since Nelson Mandela died on Thursday, there have been tributes big and small: from changing the color of the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building to musical tributes from children.

Yesterday, the U.S. State Department unveiled a tribute poem written by Dr. Maya Angelou for Mandela "on behalf of the American people."

"Yes, Mandela's day is done," the Pulitzer Prize-winning Angelou said. "Yet we, his inheritors, will open the gates wider for reconciliation."

We'll leave you with the video:

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is an international correspondent for NPR. He was named NPR's Mexico City correspondent in 2022.
KCUR is here for Kansas City, because Kansas City is here for KCUR.

Your support makes KCUR's work possible — from reporting that keeps officials accountable, to storytelling that connects our community. You can make sure the future of local journalism is strong.