Maya Angelou calls Clinton 'my girl' in state ad

COLUMBIA – Poet Maya Angelou calls Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton "my girl" in a new radio ad airing in South Carolina.

"Let me tell you about my girl," Angelou says in the 60-second ad that began airing over the weekend in this early voting state. "I am inspired by Hillary Clinton – a daughter, a wife, a mother. My girl."

Angelou, whose works include "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," was the inaugural poet for President Bill Clinton in 1993. She endorsed Hillary Clinton in June.

"Each generation of African-Americans stands on the shoulders of those who came before," Angelou says in the ad. "Today, the challenges facing us threaten the dreams we have had for our children. We need a president with the experience and strength to meet those challenges."

Clinton's friendship with Angelou dates to her days as first lady of Arkansas, where Angelou grew up, the New York senator's campaign said.

The campaign would not say exactly where the ad was running or how long it will air.

The ad's release came as more than 29,000 people attended a rally Sunday featuring media mogul Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama at Williams-Brice Stadium.

A recent AP-Pew Research poll shows the New York senator leading in South Carolina with 45 percent of likely Democratic primary voters, followed by Obama's 31 percent. The two candidates break even on the black vote here, which is expected to be important in the Democratic primary.

On Saturday, former President Bill Clinton campaigned for his wife in Charleston.