The Maya Angelou Travel Scholarship for Women of Color
Inspired by the life and work of the iconic Maya Angelou, this scholarship honors women of color who embody her spirit of exploration, creativity, and social justice. Like Angelou, who traveled the world, drawing inspiration from various cultures to fuel her art and activism, we seek to empower women to embark on transformative journeys of discovery.
Maya Angelou was a renowned singer, dancer, poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. Angelou’s work took her around the world including Egypt, Ghana, and various countries in Europe. From 1954 to 1955, Angelou toured Europe with a production of the opera Porgy and Bess and became active in the Civil Rights Movement serving as the northern coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference under Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In 1961, Angelou moved to Cairo, Egypt where she wrote for the weekly newspaper, “The Arab Observer”, then to Ghana, where she taught at the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama and worked as a feature editor for “The African Review”. Angelou returned to the United States in 1964 to help Malcolm X build the Organization of African American Unity and went on to write seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years.
Just as Angelou drew inspiration from her travels to fuel her writing and artistry, we believe that BOOKED Trips’ book-inspired journeys can be a powerful tool for personal growth and self-discovery. By exploring destinations through the lens of literature, recipients of this scholarship can deepen their understanding of the world, connect with diverse cultures, and ignite their creativity.
Thanks to a sponsorship provided by Melissa Jones, a generous donor, huge supporter of BOOKED Trips, and avid reader, we will provide two up to $5,000 scholarships toward the cost of an upcoming Ghana, Morocco, or Colombia BOOKED Trips experiences in 2025. We hope this scholarship will inspire recipients to explore the world, connect with different cultures, and return home with a renewed sense of purpose and inspiration.
We will host a webinar on Thursday, January 30th at 6:00 p.m. ET to share more about the scholarship opportunity. Register here. Scholarship applications will open February 3, 2025 and awardees will be announced in mid-March 2025.
