A woman hailed as one of the greatest voices in American literature, as well as a noted civil rights activist, spent the evening speaking in Chapel Hill Wednesday.

Maya Angelo’s talk capped off several days of activities at UNC Chapel Hill commemorating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Among the things Dr. Angelou reflected on was the road that lead to the inauguration of Barack Obama.

“It was the whites who brought Barack Obama to the presidency,” she said. “It must be said. There were not enough blacks to bring that presidency in.”

But she emphasized, the dream of an Obama presidency was everyone's work.

“It was impressive to see the whites and blacks and Asians and Spanish speaking and Native American peoples wanting Barack Obama, wanting change, wanting help, and wanting fair play.

Speaking as the keynote speaker for UNC’s 28th annual MLK birthday celebration, Angelou's words had a profound impact on those in attendance.

“She defiantly hit home,” said attendee Taylor Howard. "Everything she said was not just black, not just white. She spoke to everybody and gave inspiration; especially when you talk about the inauguration.”

“It’s just so inspirational to have someone like her come here and to hear about her first hand experiences in her own words,” said attendee Schwanda Jones.

Over the years, the 80-year-old Angelou's words have chronicled the world dreamed of by Martin Luther King, Jr.

“She's so full of hope and optimism and I really loved that she spoke to the students and tried to instill the same kind of courage and convictions in them,” said attendee Carol Jenkins.