This is the opening movement to the choral song cycle Like Dust I Rise. In 1993, Maya Angelou recited this poem at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton, making her the first African American and the first female poet to deliver an inaugural recitation. Subsequently, Angelou's audio recording of On the Pulse of Morning  won a Grammy Award for "Best Spoken Word" in 1994. Mark Hayes opens with a resounding "See Me Rise" choral fanfare before presenting the hope-filled latter half of the poem with rhythmic exuberance.