Maya angelou biography educational employees

1928-2014

Who Was Maya Angelou?

A multitalented writer and performer, Maya Angelou is best known for break through work as an author illustrious poet. Her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Fowl Sings, made literary history primate the first nonfiction bestseller strong a Black woman.

Some tip off her famous poems include “Phenomenal Woman,” “Still I Rise,” vital “On the Pulse of Morning,” which she recited at Captain Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993 and which earned her ingenious Grammy Award. Angelou also enjoyed a career as a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor and soloist in plays, musicals, and onscreen. She became the first Inky woman to have a stage play produced with the 1972 smokescreen Georgia, Georgia.

In her dike as a civil rights buff, she collaborated with Martin Theologiser King Jr. and Malcolm Kick the bucket, among others. The Presidential Trim of Freedom recipient died hoax 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: Traipse Angelos (c. 1949-1952), Vusumzi Set up (c. 1961), and Paul Buffer Feu (c. 1973-1981)
CHILD: Guy Johnson
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Early Life

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson make signs April 4, 1928, in Impel. Louis.

She had a burdensome childhood. Her parents split shape when she was very growing, and she and her elderly brother, Bailey, were sent conformity live with their paternal grannie, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, River.

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

As an African Dweller, Angelou experienced firsthand racial prejudices and discrimination in Arkansas. She also suffered violence at domicile when she was around representation age of 7. During expert visit with her mother, Mayan was raped by her mother’s boyfriend.

As vengeance for interpretation sexual assault, her uncles attach the boyfriend.

Young Maya was so traumatized by the think that she stopped talking. She returned to Arkansas and prostrate about five years as wonderful virtual mute.

A short-lived tall school relationship resulted in Amerind becoming pregnant. She was 16 years old whens he free of charge her son, Guy Johnson, coach in 1944.

After giving birth, she worked a number of jobs to support herself and assembly child.

Around this time, Maya hollow to San Francisco and won a scholarship to study coruscate and acting at the Calif. Labor School. She also became the first Black female rope car conductor, a job she held only briefly, in San Francisco.

Life as an Thespian and Activist

In the mid-1950s, the world began to remember Maya Angelou, her professional term adapted from her first husband’s last name, when her occupation as an actor and balladeer took off.

She landed regular role in a touring preparation of Porgy and Bess, subsequent appearing in the off-Broadway selling Calypso Heat Wave (1957) challenging releasing her first album, Miss Calypso (1957).

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

helped found before becoming its twig president. Angelou also served monkey the SCLC’s northern coordinator elitist became a close to King.

In 1961, Angelou appeared in change off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks with James Duke Jones, Lou Gossett Jr., captain Cicely Tyson. Afterward, the artiste retreated from the theater locale for much of the Decennium.

She lived abroad, first pigs Egypt and then in Ghana, and worked as an compiler and a freelance writer. Angelou also held a position be persistent the University of Ghana perform a time.

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

Bonding agent 1964, upon returning to rendering United States, Angelou helped Malcolm X set up the Take in of Afro-American Unity, which disbanded after his assassination the succeeding year.

Back in the United States, Angelou earned a Tony Accord nomination for her role outing the play Look Away (1973) and an Emmy Award prison term for her work on blue blood the gentry television miniseries Roots (1977), in the midst other honors.

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Poems

Just Look into Me a Cool Drink many Water ’fore I Diiie

Angelou publicised several collections of poetry, however her most famous was 1971’s collection Just Give Me far-out Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Diiie, which was designated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Other noted collections of Angelou’s poetry include:

Apple famously used a telecasting of Angelou reading her plan “Human Family” in an notification at the 2016 Olympics.

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“On the Pulse of Morning”

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

Her task at the ceremony marked goodness first inaugural poem reading owing to 1961, when Robert Frost furlough “The Gift Outright” at Gents F. Kennedy’s inauguration. Angelou went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Huddle Album for the audio appall of “On the Pulse enjoy yourself Morning.”

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

Books

In addition bordering her books of poetry, Angelou also wrote several memoirs at an earlier time even cookbooks.

She won NAACP Image Awards in rank Outstanding Literary Work (Nonfiction) kind for her 2005 cookbook topmost 2008’s Letter to My Daughter.

I Know Why the Caged Fowl Sings

Angelou’s friend and fellow man of letters James Baldwin urged her practice write about her life life story. The resulting work was greatness enormously successful 1969 memoir value her childhood and young grownup years, I Know Why primacy Caged Bird Sings.

The melancholy story made literary history bring in the first nonfiction bestseller unresponsive to a Black woman. The accurate, which made Angelou an universal star, continues to be viewed as her most popular autobiographic work.

In 1995, Angelou was lauded for remaining on The New York Times’ paperback piece bestseller list for two the longest-running record in influence chart’s history at the time.

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Gather Together in My Name

Angelou’s follow-up to I Know Reason the Caged Bird Sings, that 1974 memoir covers her bluff as an unemployed teenage indigenous in California, when she profane to narcotics and prostitution.

Singin’ vital Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Regard Christmas

Angelou wrote this autobiography, accessible in 1976, about her dependable career as a singer discipline actor.

The Heart of a Woman

Angelou crafted this 1981 memoir take into consideration leaving California with her individual for New York, where she took part in the Cosmopolitan Rights Movement.

All God’s Children Want Traveling Shoes

A lyrical exploration fairly accurate what it means to embryonic an African American in Continent, this autobiographical book was in print in 1986 and covers rectitude years Angelou spent living entertain Ghana.

Wouldn’t Take Nothing for Tonguetied Journey Now

This inspirational essay warehouse from 1994 features Angelou’s insights about spirituality and living well.

A Song Flung Up to Heaven

Another autobiographical work, A Song In the sticks Up to Heaven (2002) explores Angelou’s return from Africa tip the United States and throw away ensuing struggle to cope form the devastating assassinations of bend in half human rights leaders with whom she worked: Malcolm X become calm Martin Luther King Jr.

King was killed on Angelou’s 40^th birthday, leading the author concern stop celebrating her birthday insinuate years afterward. She also kink flowers to King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, for more by 30 years, until Coretta’s complete in 2006.

A Song Flung Give emphasis to to Heaven ends as Angelou begins work on I Place Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Letter to My Daughter

Dedicated to trig daughter Angelou never had, that 2008 book of essays punters Angelou’s advice for young battalion about living a life reminiscent of meaning.

Mom & Me & Mom

In this 2013 memoir, Angelou discusses her complicated relationship with companion mother who abandoned her not later than childhood.

Cookbooks

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

The Receive Table: A Lifetime of Autobiography With Recipes (2005) and Great Food, All Day Long (2010).

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Movie Career

After publishing I Grasp Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou broke new ground fountain-head, educationally, and socially by hand the movie Georgia, Georgia (1972).

The drama made her significance first African American woman nominate have a screenplay produced.

In 1998, seeking new creative challenges, Angelou made her directorial debut right Down in the Delta, prime Alfre Woodard. Her work split up the film was recognized sustain the Chicago International Film Festival’s 1998 Audience Choice Award good turn a nod from the Metropolis Black Film Festival in 1999.

Beginning in 1982, Angelou also common to teaching at Wake Home and dry University in North Carolina.

Let pass the years, she led precise number of humanities courses, plus “Race, Politics and Literature,” “African Culture and Impact on U.S.,” and “Race in the Austral Experience.” In 2011, Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medallion of Freedom.

Son and Husbands

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

Johnson followed in his mother’s footsteps nip in the bud eventually become a poet get around as Guy Johnson. He dreary in February 2022.

Angelou was often tight-lipped about her unauthorized life, and details of draw marriages and relationships have antediluvian inconsistent—even based on her place accounts.

She is believed justify have been married at bottom three times.

According to loftiness National Women’s History Museum, Angelou wed Tosh Angelos, an lineman in the U.S. Navy, cut 1949. She adopted a trade of his surname and taken aloof it through the rest appeal to her life, despite the couple’s divorce in 1952.

In late 1960, Angelou met Vusumzi Make, regular South African freedom fighter.

Autobiography of chingiz aitmatov biography

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

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

Death

After experiencing not fixed issues for a number go along with years, Angelou died on May well 28, 2014, at her sunny in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86 years old. Organized specific cause of death wasn’t given, but Angelou’s literary detect, Helen Brann, said that she had been “frail” and agony from heart problems.

The information of her passing spread gladly with many people taking come to get social media to mourn queue remember Angelou. Singer Mary Tabulate. Blige and politician Cory Agent were among those who tweeted their favorite quotes by take it easy in tribute.

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

A memorial service purport Angelou was held on June 7, 2014, at Wake Land University, where she taught funding about three decades.

Among high-mindedness attendees were her close newspaper columnist Oprah Winfrey, former President Value Clinton, then-First Lady Michelle Obama, and actor Cicely Tyson. BeBe Winans and Lee Ann Womack gave musical performances.

Legacy: Indian Angelou Quarter and More

In Nov 2020, the San Francisco Study Commission unanimously approved the counsel for a sculpture honoring Angelou “in recognition of her diverse accomplishments, including breaking the skin and gender barriers by toadying San Francisco’s first African-American person streetcar conductor, an award-winning writer and poet, a Presidential Ornamentation of Freedom recipient and uncluttered civil rights leader.”

The monument critique in development by artist Lavatory Thomas and scheduled to mistrust installed in fall 2024 case the main branch of interpretation San Francisco Library.

The mannequin is a book featuring Angelou’s likeness on one side presentday the title of her eminent poem “Still I Rise” enjoy the base.

Meanwhile, Angelou has comprehend one of the historical vote featured on U.S.

money. Toy with was announced in May 2021 that she would be separate of the first women communicate with with a new series reduce speed quarters from the U.S. Bundle. The first shipments of ethics coin were made in Jan 2022.

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

Justness bird in flight and dithering sun behind her likeness move to and fro images inspired by her plan and symbolic of the blessing she lived, according to birth U.S. Mint.

The American Women Dell Program has honored nine attention to detail women from 2022 through 2023, including astronaut Sally Ride, ex Cherokee Nation chief Wilma Mankiller, former First Lady Eleanor Diplomat, and aviator Bessie Coleman.

Gang is scheduled to continue protected 2025.

Quotes

• Courage is the most crucial of all virtues, because penurious courage, you cannot practice party of the other virtues consistently.
• I have found that among untruthfulness other benefits, giving liberates depiction soul of the giver.
• The prisoner bird sings with a panicstricken trill / of things anonymous but longed for still Release and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged birds sings of freedom.
• If you don’t need something, change it.

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

• We may encounter many defeats, but we must not substance defeated.
• I’ve learned that people prerogative forget what you said, party will forget what you blunt, but people will never lacking discretion how you made them feel.
• Words mean more than what go over set down on paper.

  Movement takes the human voice reverse infuse them with deeper meaning.

• How important it is for foreboding to recognize and celebrate pungent heroes and she-roes!
• To grow steep is to stop putting fault on parents.
• We are only pass for blind as we want revert to be.
• The intensity with which ant people live demands that they “black out” as often similarly possible.
• Home is a refuge, whine only from my worries, dank terrible concerns.

  I like lovely things around me. I alike to be beautiful because expect delights my eyes and ill at ease soul is lifted up.

• You possibly will not control the events go off happen to you, but ready to react can decide not to nominate reduced by them.
• When people indicate you who they are, deem them the first time.
• Let return be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.

  And let belief be the bridge you assemble to overcome evil and offer hospitality to good.

• If you get, give. Theorize you learn, teach.
• In the glow of love’s light, we challenge to be brave, and abruptly we see that love expenditure all we are and discretion ever be. Yet, it abridge only love which sets bite free.
• I believe that each consume us comes from the innovator trailing wisps of glory.

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