Scholarships

The Annie Henderson and
Willie Johnson Scholarship Fund

The Annie Henderson & Willie Johnson Scholarship Fund is named in honor of Dr. Angelou’s beloved grandmother and uncle, this flagship scholarship program supports students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Each year, the Foundation awards:

• Two (2) two-year scholarships of $3,000 per year
• One for a general student
• One for a physically-challenged, mobility-impaired, or re-entry student

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be enrolled at an HBCU
• GPA of 2.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)
• Must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress to qualify for the second year

Scholarship Process 

The Dr. Maya Angelou Foundation is proud to partner directly with  Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to identify and support students who exemplify academic promise, resilience, and a commitment to community.

Rather than accepting individual applications, the Foundation works collaboratively with each institution’s Office of Financial Aid or Financial Resources. These departments are responsible for nominating eligible students based on the Foundation’s criteria.  This model ensures that awards are distributed equitably and in alignment with Dr. Angelou’s legacy of supporting educational excellence and access for all.

Institutional Partnership Model

Each year, the Foundation shares scholarship guidelines with participating colleges and universities. These institutions through their Office of Financial Aid or Department of Financial Resources are responsible for:

  • Reviewing student records to identify eligible candidates based on GPA, enrollment status, and other criteria.

  • Nominating students who reflect the spirit of the scholarship, including those who are physically challenged, mobility-impaired, or returning to school after a break.

  • Disbursing scholarship funds directly to selected students through their financial aid packages.

This process allows the Foundation to reach students who may not have access to traditional scholarship networks while honoring the wisdom and insight of campus leaders who know their students best.

For Students

If you are a student interested in being considered for a Dr. Maya Angelou Foundation scholarship:

  • Contact your school’s Office of Financial Aid or Financial Resources.
    They will confirm whether your institution is a participating partner and guide you through next steps.

  • Maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher and demonstrate satisfactory academic progress to remain eligible.

  • Ask about internal nomination timelines. While the Foundation accepts rolling submissions, your school may have its own deadlines.

Reach out to info@drmayaangeloufdn.org for support, nomination forms, or partnership inquiries.

“You can see in others what they don’t see in themselves and what the world doesn’t see in them. We all have that possibility, that potential and that promise of seeing beyond the seeming.”

— Dr. Maya Angelou

Dr. Maya Angelou on Love Liberates

 

Still I Rise

— Dr. Maya Angelou

 

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

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.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise, I rise, I rise.