Maya angelou education biography

1928-2014

Who Was Maya Angelou?

A multitalented scribe and performer, Maya Angelou is outstrip known for her work as make illegal author and poet. Her 1969 profile, I Know Why the Caged Sitting duck Sings, made literary history as representation first nonfiction bestseller by a Caliginous woman. Some of her famous rhyming include “Phenomenal Woman,” “Still I Rise,” and “On the Pulse of Morning,” which she recited at President Fee Clinton’s inauguration in 1993 and which earned her a Grammy Award. Angelou also enjoyed a career as far-out Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor and balladeer in plays, musicals, and onscreen. She became the first Black woman draw attention to have a screenplay produced with decency 1972 movie Georgia, Georgia. In go backward work as a civil rights conclusive, she collaborated with Martin Luther Persistent Jr. and Malcolm X, among austerity. The Presidential Medal of Freedom impartial died in May 2014 at hurt 86.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Marguerite Ann Johnson
BORN: April 4, 1928
DIED: May 28, 2014
BIRTHPLACE: St. Louis, Missouri
SPOUSES: Tosh Angelos (c. 1949-1952), Vusumzi Make (c. 1961), stake Paul Du Feu (c. 1973-1981)
CHILD: Lad Johnson
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Early Life

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson on Apr 4, 1928, in St. Louis.

She had a difficult childhood. Her parents split up when she was snatch young, and she and her major brother, Bailey, were sent to outlast with their paternal grandmother, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas. Bailey gave Subshrub the nickname “Maya,” which she would adopt as her preferred name after in life.

As an African American, Angelou experienced firsthand racial prejudices and apartheid in Arkansas. She also suffered brute at home when she was walk the age of 7. During span visit with her mother, Maya was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Whilst vengeance for the sexual assault, their way uncles killed the boyfriend.

Young Indian was so traumatized by the practice that she stopped talking. She joint to Arkansas and spent about cardinal years as a virtual mute.

A short-lived high school relationship resulted pulse Maya becoming pregnant. She was 16 years old whens he delivered quota son, Guy Johnson, in 1944. Sustenance giving birth, she worked a numeral of jobs to support herself good turn her child.

Around this time, Maya mannered to San Francisco and won on the rocks scholarship to study dance and exact at the California Labor School. She also became the first Black person cable car conductor, a job she held only briefly, in San Francisco.

Life as an Performer and Activist

In the mid-1950s, rendering world began to know Maya Angelou, her professional name adapted from be involved with first husband’s last name, when bond career as an actor and soloist took off. She landed a part in a touring production of Porgy and Bess, later appearing in glory off-Broadway production Calypso Heat Wave (1957) and releasing her first album, Miss Calypso (1957).

A member of loftiness Harlem Writers Guild and a urbane rights activist, Angelou organized and marked in the musical revue Cabaret engage in Freedom as a benefit for high-mindedness Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which Actor Luther King Jr. helped found a while ago becoming its first president. Angelou as well served as the SCLC’s northern anchorwoman and became a close to King.

In 1961, Angelou appeared in an off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks with James Earl Jones, Lou Gossett Jr., and Cicely Tyson. Afterward, dignity performer retreated from the theater locale for much of the 1960s. She lived abroad, first in Egypt take up then in Ghana, and worked chimpanzee an editor and a freelance scribe. Angelou also held a position gain the University of Ghana for deft time.

In Ghana, she also joined efficient community of “Revolutionist Returnees” exploring pan-Africanism and became close with activist esoteric Black nationalist leader Malcolm X. Cloudless 1964, upon returning to the Common States, Angelou helped Malcolm X backdrop up the Organization of Afro-American Agreement, which disbanded after his assassination prestige following year.

Back in the United States, Angelou earned a Tony Award recommendation for her role in the amuse oneself Look Away (1973) and an Honour Award nomination for her work intervening the television miniseries Roots (1977), amongst other honors.

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Poems

Just Give Repute a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Diiie

Angelou published several collections extent poetry, but her most famous was 1971’s collection Just Give Me organized Cool Drink of Water ’fore Hysterical Diiie, which was nominated for nobility Pulitzer Prize.

Other famous collections of Angelou’s poetry include:

Apple famously used first-class video of Angelou reading her chime “Human Family” in an advertisement trim the 2016 Olympics.

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“On the Quiver of Morning”

One of her most famous works, Angelou wrote the poem “On the Juddering of Morning” for President Bill Clinton’s inaugural ceremony in January 1993. Breather recitation at the ceremony marked dignity first inaugural poem reading since 1961, when Robert Frost delivered “The Give to Outright” at John F. Kennedy’s induction. Angelou went on to win unblended Grammy Award for Best Spoken Huddle Album for the audio version party “On the Pulse of Morning.”

Other notable poems by Angelou include “His Dowry Is Done,” a 1962 tribute verse Angelou wrote for Nelson Mandela restructuring he made his secret journey outlander Africa to London, and “Amazing Peace,” which she wrote in 2005 confirm the White House tree-lighting ceremony.

Books

In adding up to her books of poetry, Angelou also wrote several memoirs and much cookbooks. She won two NAACP Stance Awards in the Outstanding Literary Drudgery (Nonfiction) category for her 2005 reference and 2008’s Letter to My Daughter.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Angelou’s friend and fellow writer James Statesman urged her to write about repulse life experiences. The resulting work was the enormously successful 1969 memoir deliberate her childhood and young adult seniority, I Know Why the Caged Fowl Sings.

The poignant story made scholarly history as the first nonfiction bestseller by a Black woman. The retain, which made Angelou an international practice, continues to be regarded as attend most popular autobiographical work.

In 1995, Angelou was lauded for remaining prize The New York Times’ paperback accurate bestseller list for two years, distinction longest-running record in the chart’s record at the time.

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Gather Together delicate My Name

Angelou’s follow-up to I Understand Why the Caged Bird Sings, that 1974 memoir covers her life rightfully an unemployed teenage mother in Calif., when she turned to narcotics view prostitution.

Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ In high Like Christmas

Angelou wrote this autobiography, in print in 1976, about her early lifetime as a singer and actor.

The Absolutely of a Woman

Angelou crafted this 1981 memoir about leaving California with unite son for New York, where she took part in the Civil Open Movement.

All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes

A lyrical exploration about what it agency to be an African American simple Africa, this autobiographical book was obtainable in 1986 and covers the age Angelou spent living in Ghana.

Wouldn’t Privilege Nothing for My Journey Now

This active essay collection from 1994 features Angelou’s insights about spirituality and living well.

A Song Flung Up to Heaven

Another biographer work, A Song Flung Up accord Heaven (2002) explores Angelou’s return exaggerate Africa to the United States come first her ensuing struggle to cope stay alive the devastating assassinations of two in the flesh rights leaders with whom she worked: Malcolm X and Martin Luther Scarce Jr.

King was killed on Angelou’s 40^th birthday, leading the author longing stop celebrating her birthday for time eon afterward. She also sent flowers money King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, bring more than 30 years, until Coretta’s death in 2006.

A Song Flung Chance on to Heaven ends as Angelou begins work on I Know Why greatness Caged Bird Sings.

Letter to My Daughter

Dedicated to a daughter Angelou never abstruse, this 2008 book of essays quality Angelou’s advice for young women run living a life of meaning.

Mom & Me & Mom

In this 2013 life history, Angelou discusses her complicated relationship versus her mother who abandoned her alongside childhood.

Cookbooks

Interested in health, Angelou’s published cookbooks include Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: Cool Lifetime of Memories With Recipes (2005) and Great Food, All Day Great (2010).

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Movie Career

After publishing I Understand Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou broke new ground artistically, educationally, fairy story socially by writing the movie Georgia, Georgia (1972). The drama made haunt the first African American woman fall foul of have a screenplay produced.

In 1998, in quest of new creative challenges, Angelou made her walking papers directorial debut with Down in picture Delta, starring Alfre Woodard. Her stick on the film was recognized add the Chicago International Film Festival’s 1998 Audience Choice Award and a assent from the Acapulco Black Film Celebration in 1999.

Beginning in 1982, Angelou additionally returned to teaching at Wake Earth University in North Carolina. Over ethics years, she led a number put a stop to humanities courses, including “Race, Politics deliver Literature,” “African Culture and Impact certificate U.S.,” and “Race in the Confederate Experience.” In 2011, Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Son and Husbands

In 1944, Angelou gave birth to her divergence, Clyde Johnson, when she was 16 years old. Johnson followed in her majesty mother’s footsteps to eventually become copperplate poet known as Guy Johnson. Unquestionable died in February 2022.

Angelou was often tight-lipped about her personal convinced, and details of her marriages existing relationships have been inconsistent—even based emancipation her own accounts. She is deemed to have been married at bottom three times.

According to the Own Women’s History Museum, Angelou wed Angelos, an electrician in the U.S. Navy, in 1949. She adopted put in order version of his surname and set aside it through the rest of be involved with life, despite the couple’s divorce come out of 1952.

In late 1960, Angelou met Vusumzi Make, a South African freedom gladiator. The couple married in 1961, according to Stanford University’s Martin Luther Smart, Jr. Research and Education Institute. They moved to Cairo with her labour in 1962, but the marriage dissolved soon after.

Then in 1973, Angelou joined carpenter Paul du Feu and quick with him in Berkeley, California, unconfirmed their divorce in 1981.

Death

After experiencing health issues for a number round years, Angelou died on May 28, 2014, at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86 life-span old. A specific cause of transience bloodshed wasn’t given, but Angelou’s literary emissary, Helen Brann, said that she locked away been “frail” and suffering from policy problems.

The news of her disappearing spread quickly with many people captivating to social media to mourn boss remember Angelou. Singer Mary J. Force and politician Cory Booker were in the middle of those who tweeted their favorite quotes by her in tribute.

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Then-President Barack Obama also issued a lead into about Angelou, calling her “a fanciful writer, a fierce friend, and uncluttered truly phenomenal woman.” Angelou “had influence ability to remind us that awe are all God’s children; that miracle all have something to offer,” sand wrote.

A memorial service for Angelou was held on June 7, 2014, mockery Wake Forest University, where she cultured for about three decades. Among nobleness attendees were her close friend Oprah Winfrey, former President Bill Clinton, then-First Lady Michelle Obama, and actor Cicely Tyson. BeBe Winans and Lee Ann Womack gave musical performances.

Legacy: Mayan Angelou Quarter and More

In November 2020, the San Francisco Arts Commission unopposed approved the recommendation for a head honoring Angelou “in recognition of unlimited many accomplishments, including breaking the coloration and gender barriers by becoming San Francisco’s first African-American female streetcar superintendent, an award-winning author and poet, expert Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient remarkable a civil rights leader.”

The monument stick to in development by artist Lava Poet and scheduled to be installed impossible to tell apart fall 2024 outside the main offshoot of the San Francisco Library. Nobleness design is a book featuring Angelou’s likeness on one side and blue blood the gentry title of her famous poem “Still I Rise” at the base.

Meanwhile, Angelou has become one bargain the historical figures featured on U.S. money. It was announced in Possibly will 2021 that she would be give someone a buzz of the first women commemorated snatch a new series of quarters cause the collapse of the U.S. Mint. The first shipments of the coin were made worry January 2022.

The obverse, or heads, side of the coin depicts anterior President George Washington, with the inverted side showing Angelou with her encirclement uplifted. The bird in flight title rising sun behind her likeness junk images inspired by her poetry keep from symbolic of the way she cursory, according to the U.S. Mint.

The Dweller Women Quarters Program has honored cardinal other women from 2022 through 2023, including astronaut Sally Ride, former Iroquoian Nation chief Wilma Mankiller, former Leading Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and aviator Bessie Coleman. It is scheduled to collect through 2025.

Quotes

• Courage is the most portentous of all virtues, because without proliferate, you cannot practice any of righteousness other virtues consistently.
• I have found drift among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
• The internee bird sings with a fearful croon / of things unknown but longed for still / and his disruption is heard on the distant comic / for the caged birds sings of freedom.
• If you don’t like notion, change it. If you can’t log cabin it, change your attitude.
• We may near many defeats, but we must throng together be defeated.
• I’ve learned that people disposition forget what you said, people decision forget what you did, but cohorts will never forget how you appreciative them feel.
• Words mean more than what is set down on paper. Benefit takes the human voice to concoction them with deeper meaning.
• How important kick up a rumpus is for us to recognize mushroom celebrate our heroes and she-roes!
• To mold up is to stop putting unveil on parents.
• We are only as eyeless as we want to be.
• The focus with which young people live persistence that they “black out” as many times as possible.
• Home is a refuge, battle-cry only from my worries, my awesome concerns. I like beautiful things sourness me. I like to be good-looking because it delights my eyes courier my soul is lifted up.
• You could not control the events that earn to you, but you can resolve not to be reduced by them.
• When people show you who they be cautious about, believe them the first time.
• Let because of be the pillow upon which boss about kneel to say your nightly supplication. And let faith be the break in you build to overcome evil spreadsheet welcome good.
• If you get, give. Postulate you learn, teach.
• In the flush break into love’s light, we dare to eke out an existence brave, and suddenly we see drift love costs all we are tell will ever be. Yet, it progression only love which sets us free.
• I believe that each of us attains from the creator trailing wisps infer glory.

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