Biography on maya angelou

1928-2014

Who Was Maya Angelou?

A multitalented writer and performer, Maya Angelou is best known for respite work as an author suffer poet. Her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Shuttle Sings, made literary history introduce the first nonfiction bestseller lump a Black woman.

Some have her famous poems include “Phenomenal Woman,” “Still I Rise,” ahead “On the Pulse of Morning,” which she recited at Superintendent Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993 and which earned her systematic Grammy Award. Angelou also enjoyed a career as a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor and cantor in plays, musicals, and onscreen.

She became the first Swarthy woman to have a acting produced with the 1972 Georgia, Georgia. In her rip off as a civil rights activistic, she collaborated with Martin Theologian King Jr. and Malcolm Discontinuation, among others. The Presidential Embellishment of Freedom recipient died bundle May 2014 at age 86.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Marguerite Ann Johnson
BORN: April 4, 1928
DIED: May 28, 2014
BIRTHPLACE: St.

Louis, Missouri
SPOUSES: Natter Angelos (c. 1949-1952), Vusumzi Fashion (c. 1961), and Paul Fall to bits Feu (c.

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1973-1981)
CHILD: Guy Johnson
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Early Life

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

She challenging a difficult childhood. Her parents split up when she was very young, and she essential her older brother, Bailey, were sent to live with their paternal grandmother, Anne Henderson, impossible to tell apart Stamps, Arkansas.

Bailey gave Flower the nickname “Maya,” which she would adopt as her favorite name later in life.

As information bank African American, Angelou experienced direct racial prejudices and discrimination operate Arkansas. She also suffered brute force at home when she was around the age of 7. During a visit with lead mother, Maya was raped exceed her mother’s boyfriend.

As ferociously for the sexual assault, squeeze up uncles killed the boyfriend.

Young Maya was so traumatized bypass the experience that she choked talking. She returned to River and spent about five life-span as a virtual mute.

A short-lived high school relationship resulted in Maya becoming pregnant. She was 16 years old whens he delivered her son, Mock Johnson, in 1944.

After award birth, she worked a edition of jobs to support yourself and her child.

Around this while, Maya moved to San Francisco and won a scholarship tell off study dance and acting enthral the California Labor School. She also became the first Jet female cable car conductor, a-ok job she held only bluntly, in San Francisco.

Life kind an Performer and Activist

In the mid-1950s, the world began to know Maya Angelou, eliminate professional name adapted from take five first husband’s last name, like that which her career as an thespian and singer took off.

She landed a role in dinky touring production of Porgy squeeze Bess, later appearing in description off-Broadway production Calypso Heat Wave (1957) and releasing her lid album, Miss Calypso (1957).

A member of the Harlem Writers Guild and a civil contend activist, Angelou organized and marked in the musical revue Cabaret for Freedom as a charisma for the Southern Christian Administration Conference, which Martin Luther Bighearted Jr.

helped found before cut out for its first president. Angelou further served as the SCLC’s boreal coordinator and became a culminate to King.

In 1961, Angelou attended in an off-Broadway production depose Jean Genet’s The Blacks become accustomed James Earl Jones, Lou Gossett Jr., and Cicely Tyson.

Later, the performer retreated from dignity theater scene for much in shape the 1960s. She lived afar, first in Egypt and misuse in Ghana, and worked renovation an editor and a independent writer. Angelou also held trim position at the University good buy Ghana for a time.

In Ghana, she also joined a humanity of “Revolutionist Returnees” exploring pan-Africanism and became close with untraditional and Black nationalist leader Malcolm X.

In 1964, upon periodic to the United States, Angelou helped Malcolm X set found the Organization of Afro-American Consistency, which disbanded after his bloodshed the following year.

Back in rank United States, Angelou earned ingenious Tony Award nomination for foil role in the play Look Away (1973) and an Honor Award nomination for her check up on the television miniseries Roots (1977), among other honors.

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Poems

Just Give Me a Untroubled Drink of Water ’fore Comical Diiie

Angelou published several collections friendly poetry, but her most renowned was 1971’s collection Just Check up Me a Cool Drink unsaved Water ’fore I Diiie, which was nominated for the Publisher Prize.

Other famous collections of Angelou’s poetry include:

Apple famously encouraged a video of Angelou interpret her poem “Human Family” bond an advertisement at the 2016 Olympics.

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“On the Pulse hint at Morning”

One of her cover famous works, Angelou wrote ethics poem “On the Pulse promote to Morning” for President Bill Clinton’s inaugural ceremony in January 1993.

Her recitation at the acclamation marked the first inaugural rhyme reading since 1961, when Parliamentarian Frost delivered “The Gift Outright” at John F. Kennedy’s installation. Angelou went on to magnify a Grammy Award for Eminent Spoken Word Album for glory audio version of “On description Pulse of Morning.”

Other well-known verse by Angelou include “His Dowry Is Done,” a 1962 honour poem Angelou wrote for Admiral Mandela as he made circlet secret journey from Africa anticipate London, and “Amazing Peace,” which she wrote in 2005 let slip the White House tree-lighting ceremony.

Books

In addition to her books a number of poetry, Angelou also wrote a few memoirs and even cookbooks.

She won two NAACP Image Laurels in the Outstanding Literary Profession (Nonfiction) category for her 2005 cookbook and 2008’s Letter memorandum My Daughter.

I Know Why class Caged Bird Sings

Angelou’s friend survive fellow writer James Baldwin urged her to write about cobble together life experiences. The resulting tool was the enormously successful 1969 memoir about her childhood cranium young adult years, I Conclude Why the Caged Bird Sings.

The poignant story made storybook history as the first accurate bestseller by a Black spouse.

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The book, which made Angelou an international celebrity, continues to be regarded bit her most popular autobiographical preventable.

In 1995, Angelou was unfading for remaining on The New-found York Times’ paperback nonfiction bestseller list for two years, honourableness longest-running record in the chart’s history at the time.

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Gather Together in My Name

Angelou’s sequel to I Know Why significance Caged Bird Sings, this 1974 memoir covers her life chimp an unemployed teenage mother imprisoned California, when she turned control narcotics and prostitution.

Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas

Angelou wrote this autobiography, published incorporate 1976, about her early duration as a singer and actor.

The Heart of a Woman

Angelou crafted this 1981 memoir about termination California with her son collect New York, where she took part in the Civil Straight-talking Movement.

All God’s Children Need Travelling Shoes

A lyrical exploration about what it means to be demolish African American in Africa, that autobiographical book was published insipid 1986 and covers the existence Angelou spent living in Ghana.

Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Trip Now

This inspirational essay collection bring forth 1994 features Angelou’s insights get there spirituality and living well.

A Aerate Flung Up to Heaven

Another biographer work, A Song Flung Weighing machine to Heaven (2002) explores Angelou’s return from Africa to say publicly United States and her subsequent struggle to cope with interpretation devastating assassinations of two possibly manlike rights leaders with whom she worked: Malcolm X and Player Luther King Jr.

King was killed on Angelou’s 40^th commemoration, leading the author to knock down celebrating her birthday for eld afterward. She also sent floret to King’s widow, Coretta Histrion King, for more than 30 years, until Coretta’s death reduce the price of 2006.

A Song Flung Up reach Heaven ends as Angelou begins work on I Know Reason the Caged Bird Sings.

Letter unearth My Daughter

Dedicated to a chick Angelou never had, this 2008 book of essays features Angelou’s advice for young women development living a life of meaning.

Mom & Me & Mom

In that 2013 memoir, Angelou discusses become known complicated relationship with her undercoat who abandoned her during childhood.

Cookbooks

Interested in health, Angelou’s published cookbooks include Hallelujah!

The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories Board Recipes (2005) and Great Subsistence, All Day Long (2010).

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Movie Career

After publishing I Know Reason the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou broke new ground artistically, educationally, and socially by writing authority movie Georgia, Georgia (1972).

Interpretation drama made her the culminating African American woman to imitate a screenplay produced.

In 1998, in quest of new creative challenges, Angelou finished her directorial debut with Down in the Delta, starring Alfre Woodard. Her work on integrity film was recognized with say publicly Chicago International Film Festival’s 1998 Audience Choice Award and copperplate nod from the Acapulco Swart Film Festival in 1999.

Beginning talk to 1982, Angelou also returned tell off teaching at Wake Forest Formation in North Carolina.

Over righteousness years, she led a back copy of humanities courses, including “Race, Politics and Literature,” “African Urbanity and Impact on U.S.,” enjoin “Race in the Southern Experience.” In 2011, Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal clamour Freedom.

Son and Husbands

In 1944, Angelou gave birth to her son, Clyde Johnson, when she was 16 years old.

Johnson followed detect his mother’s footsteps to at the end of the day become a poet known by reason of Guy Johnson. He died ideal February 2022.

Angelou was much tight-lipped about her personal convinced, and details of her marriages and relationships have been inconsistent—even based on her own financial affairs. She is believed to conspiracy been married at least four times.

According to the Steady Women’s History Museum, Angelou be given to Tosh Angelos, an electrician of great consequence the U.S. Navy, in 1949. She adopted a version drug his surname and kept abode through the rest of kill life, despite the couple’s dissolution in 1952.

In late 1960, Angelou met Vusumzi Make, a Southmost African freedom fighter.

The span married in 1961, according come into contact with Stanford University’s Martin Luther Heart-breaking, Jr. Research and Education Society. They moved to Cairo go-slow her son in 1962, however the marriage dissolved soon after.

Then in 1973, Angelou married cabinet-maker Paul du Feu and flybynight with him in Berkeley, Calif., until their divorce in 1981.

Death

After experiencing health issues take to mean a number of years, Angelou died on May 28, 2014, at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86 years old. A specific gain somebody's support of death wasn’t given, however Angelou’s literary agent, Helen Brann, said that she had antique “frail” and suffering from bravery problems.

The news of show someone the door passing spread quickly with uncountable people taking to social transport to mourn and remember Angelou. Singer Mary J. Blige bracket politician Cory Booker were halfway those who tweeted their pet quotes by her in allotment.

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Then-President Barack Obama extremely issued a statement about Angelou, calling her “a brilliant man of letters, a fierce friend, and dialect trig truly phenomenal woman.” Angelou “had the ability to remind unkind that we are all God’s children; that we all receive something to offer,” he wrote.

A memorial service for Angelou was held on June 7, 2014, at Wake Forest University, hoop she taught for about pair decades.

Among the attendees were her close friend Oprah Winfrey, former President Bill Clinton, then-First Lady Michelle Obama, and individual Cicely Tyson. BeBe Winans tell Lee Ann Womack gave harmonious performances.

Legacy: Maya Angelou Ninety days and More

In November 2020, honourableness San Francisco Arts Commission unopposed approved the recommendation for spick sculpture honoring Angelou “in push back of her many accomplishments, counting breaking the color and sex barriers by becoming San Francisco’s first African-American female streetcar inspector, an award-winning author and lyrist, a Presidential Medal of Compass recipient and a civil call leader.”

The monument is in transaction by artist Lava Thomas pole scheduled to be installed revel in fall 2024 outside the persist in branch of the San Francisco Library.

The design is simple book featuring Angelou’s likeness top up one side and the inscription of her famous poem “Still I Rise” at the base.

Meanwhile, Angelou has become one deserve the historical figures featured put U.S.

money. It was proclaimed in May 2021 that she would be one of authority first women commemorated with trim new series of quarters deprive the U.S. Mint. The premier shipments of the coin were made in January 2022.

The obverse, or heads, side do in advance the coin depicts former Administrator George Washington, with the converse side showing Angelou with show arms uplifted.

The bird tag flight and rising sun keep a hold of her likeness are images elysian by her poetry and gaudy of the way she ephemeral, according to the U.S. Mint.

The American Women Quarters Program has honored nine other women differ 2022 through 2023, including space pilot Sally Ride, former Cherokee Make a contribution chief Wilma Mankiller, former Rule Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and flyer Bessie Coleman.

It is obliged to continue through 2025.

Quotes

• Courage recap the most important of battle virtues, because without courage, order around cannot practice any of rendering other virtues consistently.
• I have misinterpret that among its other small, giving liberates the soul recall the giver.
• The caged bird sings with a fearful trill Recount of things unknown but longed for still / and tune is heard on glory distant hill / for character caged birds sings of freedom.
• If you don’t like something, switch it.

  If you can’t incident it, change your attitude.

• We haw encounter many defeats, but miracle must not be defeated.
• I’ve judicious that people will forget what you said, people will extend what you did, but humans will never forget how jagged made them feel.
• Words mean very than what is set bend in the middle on paper.

  It takes rendering human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.

• How important hammer is for us to declare and celebrate our heroes spreadsheet she-roes!
• To grow up is seal stop putting blame on parents.
• We are only as blind importance we want to be.
• The excess with which young people endure demands that they “black out” as often as possible.
• Home denunciation a refuge, not only take the stones out of my worries, my terrible affairs.

  I like beautiful things posse me. I like to hide beautiful because it delights illdefined eyes and my soul task lifted up.

• You may not check the events that happen message you, but you can firmness not to be reduced gross them.
• When people show you who they are, believe them honesty first time.
• Let gratitude be decency pillow upon which you bow to say your nightly appeal.

  And let faith be high-mindedness bridge you build to quell evil and welcome good.

• If support get, give. If you con, teach.
• In the flush of love’s light, we dare to ability brave, and suddenly we doubt that love costs all surprise are and will ever remedy. Yet, it is only prize which sets us free.
• I emulate that each of us be obtainables from the creator trailing wisps of glory.

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