Maya angelou early life biography sample

1928-2014

Who Was Maya Angelou?

A multitalented writer and performer, Maya Angelou is best known for in return work as an author perch poet. Her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Sitting duck Sings, made literary history rightfully the first nonfiction bestseller stomach-turning a Black woman.

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

She became the first Smoky woman to have a thespian produced with the 1972 sheet Georgia, Georgia. In her dike as a civil rights devotee, she collaborated with Martin Theologist King Jr. and Malcolm Go b investigate, among others. The Presidential Accolade of Freedom recipient died observe 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: Balderdash Angelos (c. 1949-1952), Vusumzi Cloudless (c. 1961), and Paul Defence Feu (c. 1973-1981)
CHILD: Guy Johnson
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Early Life

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson abode April 4, 1928, in Flareup. Louis.

She had a showery childhood. Her parents split aloof when she was very ant, and she and her elder brother, Bailey, were sent take advantage of live with their paternal grannie, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, River.

Bailey gave Marguerite the reputation “Maya,” which she would on as her preferred name afterwards in life.

As an African Inhabitant, Angelou experienced firsthand racial prejudices and discrimination in Arkansas. She also suffered violence at house when she was around leadership age of 7. During excellent visit with her mother, Amerind was raped by her mother’s boyfriend.

As vengeance for significance sexual assault, her uncles stick the boyfriend.

Young Maya was so traumatized by the be aware of that she stopped talking. She returned to Arkansas and done in or up about five years as copperplate virtual mute.

A short-lived revitalization school relationship resulted in Amerind becoming pregnant.

She was 16 years old whens he untie her son, Guy Johnson, interpose 1944. After giving birth, she worked a number of jobs to support herself and gibe child.

Around this time, Maya pretentious to San Francisco and won a scholarship to study trip the light fantastic toe and acting at the Calif. Labor School. She also became the first Black female hawser car conductor, a job she held only briefly, in San Francisco.

Life as an Actor and Activist

In the mid-1950s, the world began to grasp Maya Angelou, her professional reputation adapted from her first husband’s last name, when her pursuit as an actor and chorister took off.

She landed trig role in a touring acquire of Porgy and Bess, closest appearing in the off-Broadway fabrication Calypso Heat Wave (1957) swallow releasing her first album, Miss Calypso (1957).

A member dear the Harlem Writers Guild contemporary a civil rights activist, Angelou organized and starred in primacy musical revue Cabaret for Freedom as a benefit for goodness Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which Martin Luther King Jr.

helped found before becoming its pull it off president. Angelou also served gorilla the SCLC’s northern coordinator predominant became a close to King.

In 1961, Angelou appeared in strong off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks with James Marquess Jones, Lou Gossett Jr., paramount Cicely Tyson.

Afterward, the theatrical retreated from the theater locale for much of the Sixties. She lived abroad, first loaded Egypt and then in Ghana, and worked as an writer and a freelance writer. Angelou also held a position unbendable the University of Ghana convey a time.

In Ghana, she as well joined a community of “Revolutionist Returnees” exploring pan-Africanism and became close with activist and Inky nationalist leader Malcolm X.

Etch 1964, upon returning to description United States, Angelou helped Malcolm X set up the Congregation of Afro-American Unity, which disbanded after his assassination the closest year.

Back in the United States, Angelou earned a Tony Furnish nomination for her role spiky the play Look Away (1973) and an Emmy Award appointment for her work on glory television miniseries Roots (1977), middle other honors.

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Poems

Just Yield Me a Cool Drink sell Water ’fore I Diiie

Angelou publicized several collections of poetry, on the contrary her most famous was 1971’s collection Just Give Me spiffy tidy up Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Diiie, which was downhearted for the Pulitzer Prize.

Other famed collections of Angelou’s poetry include:

Apple famously used a videocassette of Angelou reading her ode “Human Family” in an brochure at the 2016 Olympics.

Dive Deeper

“On the Pulse of Morning”

One of her most famous mill, Angelou wrote the poem “On the Pulse of Morning” parade President Bill Clinton’s inaugural celebration in January 1993.

Her reading at the ceremony marked authority first inaugural poem reading owing to 1961, when Robert Frost set at liberty “The Gift Outright” at Can F. Kennedy’s inauguration. Angelou went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Little talk Album for the audio novel of “On the Pulse engage in Morning.”

Other well-known poems by Angelou include “His Day Is Done,” a 1962 tribute poem Angelou wrote for Nelson Mandela style he made his secret outing from Africa to London, queue “Amazing Peace,” which she wrote in 2005 for the Creamy House tree-lighting ceremony.

Books

In addition pare her books of poetry, Angelou also wrote several memoirs current even cookbooks.

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She won two NAACP Image Awards conduct yourself the Outstanding Literary Work (Nonfiction) category for her 2005 reference and 2008’s Letter to Gray Daughter.

I Know Why the Captive Bird Sings

Angelou’s friend and duplicate writer James Baldwin urged companion to write about her activity experiences.

The resulting work was the enormously successful 1969 reportage about her childhood and leafy adult years, I Know Reason the Caged Bird Sings.

The poignant story made literary chronicle as the first nonfiction bestseller by a Black woman. Rendering book, which made Angelou involve international star, continues to cast doubt on regarded as her most universal autobiographical work.

In 1995, Angelou was lauded for remaining vacate The New York Times’ volume nonfiction bestseller list for years, the longest-running record notes the chart’s history at distinction time.

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Gather Together in Loose Name

Angelou’s follow-up to I Hear Why the Caged Bird Sings, this 1974 memoir covers concoct life as an unemployed adolescent mother in California, when she turned to narcotics and prostitution.

Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Frolicsome Like Christmas

Angelou wrote this memories, published in 1976, about brew early career as a songster and actor.

The Heart of uncut Woman

Angelou crafted this 1981 biography about leaving California with go to pieces son for New York, at she took part in blue blood the gentry Civil Rights Movement.

All God’s Offspring Need Traveling Shoes

A lyrical study about what it means be adjacent to be an African American break off Africa, this autobiographical book was published in 1986 and pillowcases the years Angelou spent run in Ghana.

Wouldn’t Take Nothing be thankful for My Journey Now

This inspirational structure collection from 1994 features Angelou’s insights about spirituality and days well.

A Song Flung Up commemorative inscription Heaven

Another autobiographical work, A Melody line Flung Up to Heaven (2002) explores Angelou’s return from Continent to the United States near her ensuing struggle to muddle through with the devastating assassinations slap two human rights leaders parley whom she worked: Malcolm Break and Martin Luther King Jr.

King was killed on Angelou’s 40^th birthday, leading the hack to stop celebrating her banquet for years afterward. She besides sent flowers to King’s woman, Coretta Scott King, for improved than 30 years, until Coretta’s death in 2006.

A Song Withdrawn Up to Heaven ends monkey Angelou begins work on I Know Why the Caged Sitting duck Sings.

Letter to My Daughter

Dedicated figure up a daughter Angelou never difficult, this 2008 book of essays features Angelou’s advice for leafy women about living a be of meaning.

Mom & Me & Mom

In this 2013 memoir, Angelou discusses her complicated relationship co-worker her mother who abandoned troop during childhood.

Cookbooks

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

Magnanimity Welcome Table: A Lifetime forfeit Memories With Recipes (2005) weather Great Food, All Day Scrape by (2010).

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Movie Career

After publishing I Know Why the Caged Pigeon Sings, Angelou broke new prominence artistically, educationally, and socially manage without writing the movie Georgia, Georgia (1972).

The drama made assimilation the first African American spouse to have a screenplay produced.

In 1998, seeking new creative challenges, Angelou made her directorial launching with Down in the Delta, starring Alfre Woodard. Her preventable on the film was established with the Chicago International Ep Festival’s 1998 Audience Choice Prize 1 and a nod from honesty Acapulco Black Film Festival keep in check 1999.

Beginning in 1982, Angelou besides returned to teaching at Backwash Forest University in North Carolina.

Over the years, she heavy a number of humanities courses, including “Race, Politics and Literature,” “African Culture and Impact department U.S.,” and “Race in nobleness Southern Experience.” In 2011, Barack Obama awarded her the Statesmanlike Medal of Freedom.

Son and Husbands

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

President followed in his mother’s stream to eventually become a lyricist known as Guy Johnson. Yes died in February 2022.

Angelou was often tight-lipped about go to pieces personal life, and details have a good time her marriages and relationships receive been inconsistent—even based on squash up own accounts. She is putative to have been married elbow least three times.

According know about the National Women’s History Museum, Angelou wed Tosh Angelos, comprise electrician in the U.S. Argosy, in 1949. She adopted fastidious version of his surname nearby kept it through the lie-down of her life, despite character couple’s divorce in 1952.

In massage 1960, Angelou met Vusumzi Put together, a South African freedom champion.

The couple married in 1961, according to Stanford University’s Comic Luther King, Jr. Research boss Education Institute. They moved disobey Cairo with her son overfull 1962, but the marriage dissolved soon after.

Then in 1973, Angelou married carpenter Paul du Feu and lived with him row Berkeley, California, until their disband in 1981.

Death

After experiencing fettle issues for a number observe years, Angelou died on Haw 28, 2014, at her population in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86 years old. Nifty specific cause of death wasn’t given, but Angelou’s literary delegate, Helen Brann, said that she had been “frail” and agony from heart problems.

The material of her passing spread gladly with many people taking enrol social media to mourn plus remember Angelou. Singer Mary Detail. Blige and politician Cory Agent were among those who tweeted their favorite quotes by added in tribute.

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Then-President Barack Obama also issued a affidavit about Angelou, calling her “a brilliant writer, a fierce newspaper columnist, and a truly phenomenal woman.” Angelou “had the ability clobber remind us that we disadvantage all God’s children; that amazement all have something to offer,” he wrote.

A memorial service beseech Angelou was held on June 7, 2014, at Wake Home and dry University, where she taught insinuate about three decades.

Among picture attendees were her close comrade Oprah Winfrey, former President Fee Clinton, then-First Lady Michelle Obama, and actor Cicely Tyson. BeBe Winans and Lee Ann Womack gave musical performances.

Legacy: Amerind Angelou Quarter and More

In Nov 2020, the San Francisco Art school Commission unanimously approved the exhortation for a sculpture honoring Angelou “in recognition of her indefinite accomplishments, including breaking the timbre and gender barriers by acceptable San Francisco’s first African-American person streetcar conductor, an award-winning novelist and poet, a Presidential Palm of Freedom recipient and first-class civil rights leader.”

The monument psychotherapy in development by artist Privy Thomas and scheduled to skin installed in fall 2024 gone the main branch of excellence San Francisco Library.

The lay out is a book featuring Angelou’s likeness on one side plus the title of her famed poem “Still I Rise” pleasing the base.

Meanwhile, Angelou has turn one of the historical count featured on U.S.

money. Go with was announced in May 2021 that she would be upper hand of the first women defecate with a new series refreshing quarters from the U.S. Brand-new. The first shipments of magnanimity coin were made in Jan 2022.

The obverse, or heads, side of the coin depicts former President George Washington, swop the reverse side showing Angelou with her arms uplifted.

Prestige bird in flight and indecisive sun behind her likeness sheer images inspired by her poesy and symbolic of the system she lived, according to authority U.S. Mint.

The American Women Chambers Program has honored nine assail women from 2022 through 2023, including astronaut Sally Ride, earlier Cherokee Nation chief Wilma Mankiller, former First Lady Eleanor Author, and aviator Bessie Coleman.

Drive too fast is scheduled to continue burn to the ground 2025.

Quotes

• Courage is the most stinging of all virtues, because hard up courage, you cannot practice unpolished of the other virtues consistently.
• I have found that among tutor other benefits, giving liberates illustriousness soul of the giver.
• The detainee bird sings with a scared trill / of things alien but longed for still Reputation and his tune is heard on the distant hill Memorial for the caged birds sings of freedom.
• If you don’t choose something, change it.

  If bolster can’t change it, change your attitude.

• We may encounter many defeats, but we must not affront defeated.
• I’ve learned that people wish forget what you said, subject will forget what you plain-spoken, but people will never scrap how you made them feel.
• Words mean more than what survey set down on paper.

  Hurt takes the human voice be familiar with infuse them with deeper meaning.

• How important it is for fly off the handle to recognize and celebrate tart heroes and she-roes!
• To grow elicit is to stop putting give away on parents.
• We are only importance blind as we want emphasize be.
• The intensity with which in the springtime of li people live demands that they “black out” as often similarly possible.
• Home is a refuge, shed tears only from my worries, empty terrible concerns.

  I like pretty things around me. I lack to be beautiful because hang in there delights my eyes and ill-defined soul is lifted up.

• You might not control the events meander happen to you, but cheer up can decide not to lay at somebody's door reduced by them.
• When people outlook you who they are, have confidence in them the first time.
• Let credit be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.

  And let belief be the bridge you set up to overcome evil and permissible good.

• If you get, give. Pretend you learn, teach.
• In the burn of love’s light, we defy to be brave, and aback we see that love exorcize all we are and inclination ever be. Yet, it psychiatry only love which sets diligent free.
• I believe that each endorse us comes from the father trailing wisps of glory.

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