We’ve written about her twice on S&A, so some may be familiar already. In 2004, she became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize; Kenyan political and environmental activist Wangari Maathai has died at age 71, losing a lengthy battle with cancer.

First, the report on her death this morning:

Second, in March, we alerted you to a documentary on Maathai, titled Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai, which documents the story of Kenya’s Green Belt Movement, a grassroots organization encouraging rural women and families to plant trees in community groups, and centers Maathai, the movement’s founder, as she helps spark a movement to reclaim Kenya’s land from a century of deforestation, while providing new sources of livelihood to rural communities.

The film follows her three-decade journey of courage to protect the environment, ensure gender equality, defend human rights and promote democracy – all sprouting from the achievable act of planting trees.

Lisa Merton and Alan Dater directed the production which aired on March 22 on the PBS network Independent Lens series.

It’s now on DVD and can be purchased via the film’s website HERE.

Here’s a preview:

Watch the full episode. See more Independent Lens.

And lastly, back in January 2010, CNN profiled Wangari Maathai; embedded in 3 parts below:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

If you didn’t know, now you know…

RIP.