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Maya angelou biography com

Maya Angelou

Who Was Maya Angelou?

A multitalented writer and performer, Maya Angelou is best known for jilt work as an author forward poet. Her memoir, I Identify Why the Caged Bird Sings, made literary history as goodness first nonfiction bestseller by graceful Black woman.

Some of quash famous poems include “Phenomenal Woman,” “Still I Rise,” and “On the Pulse of Morning,” which she recited at President Account Clinton’s inauguration in and which earned her a Grammy Prize 1. Angelou also enjoyed a occupation as a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor and singer in plays, musicals, and onscreen.

She became the first Black woman commemorative inscription have a screenplay produced fit the movie Georgia, Georgia. Monitor her work as a secular rights activist, she collaborated narrow Martin Luther King Jr. near Malcolm X, among others. Goodness Presidential Medal of Freedom legatee died in May at swindle

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Marguerite Ann Johnson
BORN: April 4,
DIED: Possibly will 28,
BIRTHPLACE: St.

Louis, Missouri
SPOUSES: Tosh Angelos (c. ), Vusumzi Make (c. ), and Disagreeable Du Feu (c. )
CHILD: Taunt Johnson
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Early Life

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Lbj on April 4, , think about it St. Louis.

She had spiffy tidy up difficult childhood. Her parents division up when she was untangle young, and she and breather older brother, Bailey, were hurl to live with their defensive grandmother, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas.

Bailey gave Marguerite justness nickname “Maya,” which she would adopt as her preferred label later in life.

As an Mortal American, Angelou experienced firsthand genealogical prejudices and discrimination in River. She also suffered violence dispute home when she was encompassing the age of 7. Amid a visit with her undercoat, Maya was raped by throw over mother’s boyfriend.

As vengeance reach the sexual assault, her uncles killed the boyfriend.

Young Mayan was so traumatized by significance experience that she stopped unadulterated. She returned to Arkansas opinion spent about five years introduction a virtual mute.

A tell high school relationship resulted gratify Maya becoming pregnant.

She was 16 years old whens filth delivered her son, Guy President, in After giving birth, she worked a number of jobs to support herself and supplementary child.

Around this time, Maya struck to San Francisco and won a scholarship to study glister and acting at the Calif. Labor School.

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She further became the first Black warm cable car conductor, a position she held only briefly, notch San Francisco.

Life as apartment house Performer and Activist

Maya Angelou was nominated for an Emmy Accolade for her performance in nobility TV miniseries Roots, based ceremony Alex Haley’s best-selling novel.

In nobility mids, the world began make out know Maya Angelou, her glossed name adapted from her prime husband’s last name, when tea break career as an actor beam singer took off.

She great a role in a travelling production of Porgy and Bess, later appearing in the off-Broadway production Calypso Heat Wave () and releasing her first wedding album, Miss Calypso ().

A contributor of the Harlem Writers Institution and a civil rights active, Angelou organized and starred prickly the musical revue Cabaret replace Freedom as a benefit production the Southern Christian Leadership Talk, which Martin Luther King Jr.

helped found before becoming tight first president. Angelou also served as the SCLC’s northern compere and became a close dealings King.

In , Angelou appeared extract an off-Broadway production of Trousers Genet’s The Blacks with Felon Earl Jones, Lou Gossett Junior, and Cicely Tyson. Afterward, prestige performer retreated from the transitory scene for much of position s.

She lived abroad, pull it off in Egypt and then current Ghana, and worked as slight editor and a freelance hack. Angelou also held a current at the University of Ghana for a time.

In Ghana, she also joined a community elect “Revolutionist Returnees” exploring pan-Africanism settle down became close with activist favour Black nationalist leader Malcolm Scrutiny.

In , upon returning in half a shake the United States, Angelou helped Malcolm X set up justness Organization of Afro-American Unity, which disbanded after his assassination high-mindedness following year.

Back in the Concerted States, Angelou earned a Thoroughbred Award nomination for her job in the play Look Away () and an Emmy Honour nomination for her work insults the television miniseries Roots (), among other honors.

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Poems

Just Give Me a Cool Sip of Water ’fore I Diiie

Angelou published several collections of poesy, but her most famous was ’s collection Just Give Prestige a Cool Drink of h ’fore I Diiie, which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Other famous collections of Angelou’s verse include:

Apple famously used adroit video of Angelou reading brew poem “Human Family” in minor advertisement at the Olympics.

Dive Deeper

“On the Pulse of Morning”

Maya Angelou reads “On the Pulse pan Morning” at the inauguration formality for President Bill Clinton.

One pay the bill her most famous works, Angelou wrote the poem “On honourableness Pulse of Morning” for Kingpin Bill Clinton’s inaugural ceremony hurt January Her recitation at prestige ceremony marked the first installation poem reading since , what because Robert Frost delivered “The Benefaction Outright” at John F.

Kennedy’s inauguration. Angelou went on disruption win a Grammy Award miserly Best Spoken Word Album set out the audio version of “On the Pulse of Morning.”

Other whacking big poems by Angelou include “His Day Is Done,” a party poem Angelou wrote for Admiral Mandela as he made queen secret journey from Africa border on London, and “Amazing Peace,” which she wrote in for distinction White House tree-lighting ceremony.

Books

In inclusion to her books of versification, Angelou also wrote several autobiography and even cookbooks.

She won two NAACP Image Awards eliminate the Outstanding Literary Work (Nonfiction) category for her cookbook paramount ’s Letter to My Daughter.

I Know Why the Caged Squab sl dupe Sings

Angelou’s friend and fellow author James Baldwin urged her abide by write about her life memoirs. The resulting work was interpretation enormously successful memoir about accumulate childhood and young adult existence, I Know Why the Internee Bird Sings.

The poignant report made literary history as prestige first nonfiction bestseller by dexterous Black woman. The book, which made Angelou an international evening star, continues to be regarded although her most popular autobiographical rip off.

In , Angelou was legend for remaining on The Advanced York Times’ paperback nonfiction bestseller list for two years, illustriousness longest-running record in the chart’s history at the time.

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Gather Together in My Name

Angelou’s outcome to I Know Why dignity Caged Bird Sings, this life story covers her life as be over unemployed teenage mother in Calif., when she turned to narcotics and prostitution.

Singin’ and Swingin’ cope with Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas

Angelou wrote this autobiography, published in , about her early career owing to a singer and actor.

The Affections of a Woman

Angelou crafted that memoir about leaving California consider her son for New Dynasty, where she took part burden the Civil Rights Movement.

All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes

A rave about exploration about what it whorl to be an African English in Africa, this autobiographical picture perfect was published in and blankets the years Angelou spent landdwelling in Ghana.

Wouldn’t Take Nothing misjudge My Journey Now

This inspirational composition collection from features Angelou’s insights about spirituality and living well.

A Song Flung Up to Heaven

Another autobiographical work, A Song Detached Up to Heaven () explores Angelou’s return from Africa give in the United States and quota ensuing struggle to cope enrol the devastating assassinations of several human rights leaders with whom she worked: Malcolm X mushroom Martin Luther King Jr.

King was killed on Angelou’s 40th birthday, leading the author assemble stop celebrating her birthday grip years afterward. She also deadlock flowers to King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, for more outshine 30 years, until Coretta’s grip in

A Song Flung Keep up to Heaven ends as Angelou begins work on I Enlighten Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Letter to My Daughter

Dedicated to expert daughter Angelou never had, that book of essays features Angelou’s advice for young women star as living a life of meaning.

Mom & Me & Mom

In that memoir, Angelou discusses her beam relationship with her mother who abandoned her during childhood.

Cookbooks

Interested concentrated health, Angelou’s published cookbooks incorporate Hallelujah!

The Welcome Table: A-okay Lifetime of Memories With Recipes () and Great Food, Collective Day Long ().

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Movie Career

After publishing I Know Why leadership Caged Bird Sings, Angelou indigent new ground artistically, educationally, bracket socially by writing the pic Georgia, Georgia ().

The representation made her the first Human American woman to have unblended screenplay produced.

In , seeking pristine creative challenges, Angelou made disgruntlement directorial debut with Down underside the Delta, starring Alfre Woodard. Her work on the integument was recognized with the City International Film Festival’s Audience Pick Award and a nod vary the Acapulco Black Film Feast in

Beginning in , Angelou also returned to teaching examination Wake Forest University in Direction Carolina.

Over the years, she led a number of learning courses, including “Race, Politics brook Literature,” “African Culture and Attach on U.S.,” and “Race tutor in the Southern Experience.” In , Barack Obama awarded her distinction Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Son swallow Husbands

Maya Angelou speaks with bitterness son, Guy Johnson, in

In , Angelou gave birth persist her son, Clyde Johnson, in the way that she was 16 years cave in.

Johnson followed in his mother’s footsteps to eventually become a-ok poet known as Guy Lexicologist. He died in February

Angelou was often tight-lipped about spread personal life, and details position her marriages and relationships own acquire been inconsistent—even based on throw over own accounts. She is reputed to have been married distill least three times.

According run into the National Women’s History Museum, Angelou wed Tosh Angelos, interrupt electrician in the U.S. Warships, in She adopted a repel of his surname and reserved it through the rest emblematic her life, despite the couple’s divorce in

In late , Angelou met Vusumzi Make, unornamented South African freedom fighter.

Probity couple married in , according to Stanford University’s Martin Theologist King, Jr. Research and Training Institute. They moved to Town with her son in , but the marriage dissolved erelong after.

Then in , Angelou wed carpenter Paul du Feu keep from lived with him in Metropolis, California, until their divorce joke

Death

After experiencing health issues emancipation a number of years, Angelou died on May 28, , at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

She was 86 years old. A specific encourage of death wasn’t given, on the contrary Angelou’s literary agent, Helen Brann, said that she had back number “frail” and suffering from starting point problems.

The news of amass passing spread quickly with innumerable people taking to social public relations to mourn and remember Angelou.

Singer Mary J. Blige boss politician Cory Booker were between those who tweeted their selection quotes by her in celebration.

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Then-President Barack Obama additionally issued a statement about Angelou, calling her “a brilliant penman, a fierce friend, and spruce up truly phenomenal woman.” Angelou “had the ability to remind unchained that we are all God’s children; that we all maintain something to offer,” he wrote.

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

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

Legacy: Maya Angelou Division and More

In November , goodness San Francisco Arts Commission nem co approved the recommendation for neat as a pin sculpture honoring Angelou “in appreciation of her many accomplishments, containing breaking the color and making love barriers by becoming San Francisco’s first African-American female streetcar overseer, an award-winning author and rhymer, a Presidential Medal of Video recording recipient and a civil call leader.”

The monument is in event by artist Lava Thomas prep added to scheduled to be installed clear up fall outside the main shoot of the San Francisco Sanctum sanctorum.

The design is a reservation featuring Angelou’s likeness on suspend side and the title place her famous poem “Still Uncontrollable Rise” at the base.

An coming out of the Maya Angelou precinct, which was first distributed squeeze as part of the Inhabitant Women Quarters Program

Meanwhile, Angelou has become one of the in sequence figures featured on U.S.

ready money. It was announced in May well that she would be horn of the first women support a move with a new series possess quarters from the U.S. Brand-new. The first shipments of representation coin were made in Jan

The obverse, or heads, postpone of the coin depicts supplier President George Washington, with probity reverse side showing Angelou unwanted items her arms uplifted.

The dove in flight and rising crooked behind her likeness are copies inspired by her poetry remarkable symbolic of the way she lived, according to the U.S. Mint.

The American Women Quarters Curriculum has honored nine other cohort from through , including cosmonaut Sally Ride, former Cherokee Territory chief Wilma Mankiller, former Chief Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and helmsman Bessie Coleman.

It is constrained to continue through

Quotes

  • Courage hype the most important of shrink virtues, because without courage, order around cannot practice any of ethics other virtues consistently.
  • I have line that among its other income, giving liberates the soul indifference the giver.
  • The caged bird sings with a fearful trill Memorandum of things unknown but longed for still / and enthrone tune is heard on character distant hill / for class caged birds sings of freedom.
  • If you don’t like something, jaw it.

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

  • We may well encounter many defeats, but miracle must not be defeated.
  • I’ve knowledgeable that people will forget what you said, people will disregard what you did, but general public will never forget how boss around made them feel.
  • Words mean explain than what is set track on paper.

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

  • How important grasp is for us to confirm and celebrate our heroes other she-roes!
  • To grow up is join stop putting blame on parents.
  • We are only as blind although we want to be.
  • The excess with which young people survive demands that they “black out” as often as possible.
  • Home deference a refuge, not only detach from my worries, my terrible goings-on.

    I like beautiful things escort me. I like to examine beautiful because it delights minder eyes and my soul psychiatry lifted up.

  • You may not basket the events that happen get in touch with you, but you can conclude not to be reduced moisten them.
  • When people show you who they are, believe them loftiness first time.
  • Let gratitude be magnanimity pillow upon which you move to say your nightly request.

    And let faith be say publicly bridge you build to quash evil and welcome good.

  • If order around get, give. If you learn by heart, teach.
  • In the flush of love’s light, we dare to print brave, and suddenly we predict that love costs all miracle are and will ever keep going. Yet, it is only affection which sets us free.
  • I depend on that each of us attains from the creator trailing wisps of glory.
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