While in the process of producing the film shoot of Maya Angleou reading her poem Amazement Awaits in celebration of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing China, our production company Big City Pictures was asked to do a quick video shoot of Dr. Angelou as a greeting for a pre-dedication event of the Maya Angelou Libraries in the U.K.; she was feeling under the weather and would not be able to attend. Dr. Angelou belted out 12 minutes of extemporaneous speaking with nary a telepromter to be seen — pretty impressive even if she hadn’t recently become an octogenarian — wow!
The Maya Angelou Libraries and Thank U Foundation
The libraries project was initiated by Sally Baffour, Dr. Angelou’s niece, the founder of the organization Thank U Foundation. Balfour (who was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, and currently lives in London) is a tireless and dedicated advocate of fostering and adoption, especially of minority children through Thank-U which has initiated adoption and fostering programs in Ghana and in the Caribbean island of Grenada. She moderates her own talk show on local television in London. Baffour is also the adoptive parent of two teen-aged children.
Thank U Foundation
Supports the welfare of vulnerable children and older people in UK Africa and the Caribbean.
Focus in the UK is on:
Promoting adoption and fostering to African and Caribbean community.
Empowering youth of African, Caribbean and mixed heritage.
