Maya Angelou to Deliver Keynote Address for Law School's Second Annual Conference on Feminist Legal Theory, March 5-6
January 29, 2009
Contact: School of Law External Relations
Phone: 410.837.5648
Note: Due to overwhelming demand, registration for both of these events is now closed.
A keynote address by acclaimed author Maya Angelou will conclude the second annual Feminist Legal Theory and Feminisms Conference March 5-6 at the University of Baltimore School of Law. The conference, which will take place in the John and Frances Angelos Law Center at 1415 Maryland Ave., will bring together law students, legal academics, practitioners and activists to explore the concrete ways in which feminist legal theory is (or is not) changing the law. Angelou's keynote address, beginning at 6 p.m. on March 6 at the Lyric Opera House, 140 W. Mt. Royal Ave., will cap Friday's full day of presentations and discussions on a wide array of relevant topics. In addition, a workshop open to all conference attendees, "Creating Space for Feminist Writing and Teaching," will be held the day before. The conference and Angelou's presentation are free and open to the public, although space is limited and registration is required. Attendance and registration details are listed below.
Angelou, the author of dozens of books, stories, plays and poems, including the Pulitzer Prize-nominated Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie, is a legend not only for her cogent and gut-wrenching writing, but for her insights into the struggle for civil and women's rights and the role of experience and wisdom in resolving issues. She inspired the nation with a reading of her poem, "On the Pulse of Morning," at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton in 1993. She has contributed greatly to the popular culture, by writing and acting for television and theater and producing books for children. But perhaps her greatest triumph has been her six volumes of autobiography, begun with the hugely successful I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1970.
Born in St. Louis, Mo., in 1928, Angelou moved to Stamps, Ark., when she was three, where she was raised by her paternal grandmother—an experience detailed in Caged Bird. In addition to her autobiography, Angelou has published books of poetry, personal essays, plays, screenplays and more. 1971's Cool Drink, a collection of poems, was nominated for a Pulitzer. Angelou performed in a touring company of Porgy and Bess, was nominated for an Emmy for her performance in the television adaptation of Roots, and has won three Grammys for spoken-word recordings of her autobiographical work.
Angelou has been deeply involved in the fight for civil and women's rights. She became the first black streetcar operator in San Francisco at the age of 15, and served as the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in the 1960s at the behest of Martin Luther King, Jr. She was chosen for leadership posts in the Ford and Carter administrations as well.
More about Angelou is available on her official Web site, www.mayaangelou.com.
A number of events featuring leading feminist scholars and commentators will be held throughout the conference. Among the topics are:
- "Black Men, White Women, and the Rest of Us: Discourse About Race, Gender, and Who Gets the Job, the Promotion and the Money in the Corporate Workplace," led by Cheryl Wade of St. John's University School of Law
- "'They Ain't White, They're Mormons': An Illustrated History of Polygamy as Race Treason," led by Martha Ertman of the University of Maryland School of Law
- "Consent v. Acquiescence: How Feminist Theory Sheds Light on the Abuse of the Consent Doctrine in Search and Seizure Law," led by Josephine Ross of Howard University School of Law
A complete schedule of conference events is available here.
For more information, contact the Office of External Relations at 410.837.5648 or send an e-mail to lawevents@ubalt.edu.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the School of Law, the Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts and the Merrick School of Business.