World Mourns Passing of Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai

Posted on September 26, 2011

Wangari Maathai, the first environmentalist and African woman to win the Nobel Prize, passed away while having treatment for ovarian cancer on Monday.

 

Wangari Maathai, the first environmentalist and African woman to win the Nobel Prize, passed away on Monday while having treatment for ovarian cancer. Maathai was the founder of Kenya's Green Belt Movement, a grassroots organization encouraging women and families to plant trees. She was recently the focus of the Independent Lens documentary Taking Root: The Story of Wangari Maathai and was featured in DIRT! The Movie. Maathai will be remembered for her work in women's rights, democracy, and the environment. 

Watch the trailer for Taking Root: The Story of Wangari Maathai >>

Topics

From our blog

  1. ITVS Responds to Rescission Vote

    July 18, 2025

    [July 18, 2025] Carrie Lozano, President and CEO of the Independent Television Service (ITVS), issued the following statement in response to Congress' vote clawing back congressional approved funding for public media.Congress’ decision to pass the rescission package that removes the $1.1B of previously approved federal funds for the Corporation of…

  2. Protecting Our Future and Charting the Course Ahead

    June 4, 2025

    We are sharing the sad and difficult news that ITVS is reducing its staff by 13 individuals across the organization. For a staff so committed to our mission and to each other, this 20% staff reduction is a painful moment. Our dedicated staff have made important contributions that are part of ITVS' legacy and success story. In the past few months, ITVS has…

  3. ITVS Documentary "Greener Pastures" Honored by the Television Academy

    May 1, 2025

    The Television Academy announced that the ITVS-supported, Independent Lens documentary Greener Pastures will be celebrated at the 18th Television Academy Honors. Established in 2008, the Television Academy Honors Award recognizes “Television with a Conscience” and seeks to celebrate programs that inspire, motivate, and harness the power of…