Stamps mayor receives Spirit of Maya Award
LITTLE ROCK—The Celebrate! Maya Project, an Arkansas-based nonprofit honoring Maya Angelou, announced Thursday evening that Stamps Mayor Brenda Davis is the third recipient of the Spirit of Maya Award. The award was at the organization’s 2018 FriendRaiser, which took place at Trapnall Hall in downtown Little Rock.
Davis was appointed by the city council to fill the term of former Mayor David Bright in 2o17. She is the first African-American mayor of Stamps.
As mayor, she said she believes in instituting the three R’s: rebuilding, restoring and renewing. She said she believes the city is moving toward growth and improvements.
“This award is another way we not only celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou, but also recognize and honor Arkansans whose lives epitomize Dr. Angelou’s commitment to
improving the world,” said Janis F. Kearney, founding president of the Celebrate! Maya Project. “This award symbolizes Maya Angelou’s legacy of artistic genius, deep commitment to human and civil rights, and her lifetime advocacy for education and children.”
Davis said she is very fortunate to have grown up in the same city where Angelou lived during her childhood, and that has been an important factor in her work as a public servant. As a young child, Davis visited the store that Angelou’s uncle and grandmother operated in the town.
Davis served the Stamps School District for more than 39 years as an elementary secretary, administrative assistant and superintendent. She also was a city council member for 17 years.
The Celebrate! Maya Project’s annual FriendRaiser raises money for educational programming related to Angelou and academic scholarships for high school writers and poets.
“Davis’ public service and commitment to improving the lives of the people of Stamps, Arkansas, represents Maya Angelou’s commitment to making life better for women, children and the oppressed,” Kearney said.
(The public is invited to nominate candidates for the organization’s annual Spirit of Maya Award. For more information on the Celebrate! Maya Project, visit celebratemayaproject.org.)