She was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1989,[1] and named to the National Council on the Arts by President Bill Clinton in 1999.
[4] At the age of 10 she nearly died in Dallas when a segregated hospital refused to admit her for a kidney condition quickly enough to prevent heart failure.
It has toured internationally, performed at the Lincoln Center and received coverage and positive reviews from the New York Times,[9] Washington Post,[10][11] and LA Times[12] Representative Mark Udall gave tribute to the ensemble on the floor of the US House of Representatives in 2005 to honor its 35th anniversary.
[13] Notable performers with the ensemble have included Nejla Y. Yatkin, Cornelius Carter, Germaul Barnes and Leni Williams.
[15] One of her more notable artistic creations is "Lush Life," a jazz, poetry and dance collaboration she created together with Maya Angelou.