The Clinton campaign has started running a 60 second radio ad in South Carolina featuring Maya Angelou titled "My Girl." Angelou is not just a brilliant writer, she also worked closely with both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X in the struggle for civil rights.
Angelou endorsed Clinton back in June, releasing a video explaining her support:
This seems to be a move to counter Oprah, but Angelou has been a friend of the Clintons for years. She famously read a poem at Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration:
Angelou and Oprah are also longtime friends, and Oprah has described Angelou as her mentor:
Since the moment I opened I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, I've felt deeply connected to Maya Angelou. With each page, her life seemed to mirror mine: In her early years she was raised by her grandmother in the South; as a young girl she was raped; and, like me, she grew up reciting what the church folks called little pieces—a few lines from the Bible that were usually delivered amid shouts and amens from the women fanning themselves in the front pews. Meeting Maya on those pages was like meeting myself in full. For the first time, as a young black girl, my experience was validated.
And it still is, only now I sit at Maya's feet, beside her fireplace, hardly believing that, years after reading Caged Bird, she is my mentor and close friend. When we met in Baltimore more than 20 years ago, our bond was immediate. We talked as if we had known each other our entire lives; and throughout my twenties and in the years beyond, Maya brought clarity to my life lessons. Now we have what I call a mother-sister-friend relationship. She's the woman who can share my triumphs, chide me with hard truth and soothe me with words of comfort when I call her in my deepest pain.
Here's the transcript of the new radio ad:
Maya Angelou: Hello South Carolina, this is Maya Angelou. Let me tell you about my girl... Hillary Clinton.
As a child, Hillary Clinton was taught that all God’s children are equal, so as a mother she understood that her child wasn’t safe unless all children were safe.
I know what kind of president Hillary Clinton will be because I know who she is. Hillary Clinton has always been a strong woman and a passionate protector of families. For 35 years, that’s exactly what she has been doing.
Each generation of African Americans stands on the shoulders of those who came before. Today, the challenges facing us threaten the dreams we have had for our children. We need a president with the experience and strength to meet those challenges.
I am inspired by Hillary Clinton’s commitment and courage... a daughter, a wife, a mother... my girl.
You can listen to the audio here.