The late Wangari Maathai was a biologist, environmentalist, and the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. She was born under British colonial occupation and schooled by Catholic missionaries. But when she looked back on her childhood near the end of her life, she realized her family’s Kikuyu culture had imparted her with an intuitive sense of environmental balance. Maathai was steadfast in her determination to fight for the twin issues of conservation and human rights — and planting trees was a symbol of defiance.
Wangari Maathai founded the global Green Belt Movement, which has contributed today to the planting of over 52 million trees. She was the 2004 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Her books include the memoir “Unbowed” and “Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World.” She’s also one of the 100 heroic women featured in the book “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.” She died in 2011 at the age of 71.
Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.
J. Drew Lanham reads from his book.
Katherine May Reads from 'Wintering'
Living the Questions: A Civil Rights Elder on Exhaustion and Rest, Spiritual Practice, and the Necessity of Loving Community
Nikki Giovanni — 'We Go Forward With a Sanity and a Love'
[Unedited] Nicki Giovanni with Krista Tippett
Frank Wilczek — Beauty as a Compass for Truth
[Unedited] Frank Wilczek with Krista Tippett
Mary Catherine Bateson — Living as an Improvisational Art
[Unedited] Mary Catherine Bateson with Krista Tippett
Gaelynn Lea’s Voice and Violin
[Unedited] Gaelynn Lea with Krista Tippett
Jennifer Michael Hecht — 'We Believe Each Other Into Being'
[Unedited] Jennifer Michael Hecht with Krista Tippett
Bishop Michael Curry & Dr. Russell Moore — Spiritual Bridge People
[Unedited] Bishop Michael Curry & Dr. Russell Moore with Krista Tippett
Agustín Fuentes — This Species Moment
[Unedited] Agustín Fuentes with Krista Tippett
Richard Blanco — How to Love a Country
[Unedited] Richard Blanco with Krista Tippett
Remembering Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
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