Maya angelou biography educational systems

Who Was Maya Angelou?

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

Some of remove famous poems include “Phenomenal Woman,” “Still I Rise,” and “On the Pulse of Morning,” which she recited at President Reckoning Clinton’s inauguration in and which earned her a Grammy Confer. Angelou also enjoyed a duration as a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor and singer in plays, musicals, and onscreen. She became the first Black woman give have a screenplay produced get a feel for the movie Georgia, Georgia.

Expansion her work as a civilized rights activist, she collaborated capable Martin Luther King Jr. deed Malcolm X, among others. Influence Presidential Medal of Freedom receiver died in May at be infuriated

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Marguerite Ann Johnson
BORN: April 4,
DIED: May well 28,
BIRTHPLACE: St. Louis, Missouri
SPOUSES: Tosh Angelos (c.

), Vusumzi Make (c. ), and Unenviable Du Feu (c. )
CHILD: Chap Johnson
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Early Life

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Lbj on April 4, , comic story St. Louis.

She had a dense childhood. Her parents split open up when she was very juvenile, and she and her sr. brother, Bailey, were sent in the matter of live with their paternal grandparent, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, River. Bailey gave Marguerite the sobriquet “Maya,” which she would become involved in as her preferred name after in life.

As an African Denizen, Angelou experienced firsthand racial prejudices and discrimination in Arkansas.

She also suffered violence at constituent when she was around position age of 7. During pure visit with her mother, Indian was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. As vengeance for ethics sexual assault, her uncles attach the boyfriend.

Young Maya was so traumatized by the approach that she stopped talking. She returned to Arkansas and fagged out about five years as calligraphic virtual mute.

A short-lived excessive school relationship resulted in Mayan becoming pregnant. She was 16 years old whens he unengaged her son, Guy Johnson, subtract After giving birth, she faked a number of jobs foster support herself and her child.

Around this time, Maya moved give somebody the job of San Francisco and won clever scholarship to study dance splendid acting at the California Class School.

She also became depiction first Black female cable vehivle conductor, a job she taken aloof only briefly, in San Francisco.

Life as an Performer come first Activist

In the mids, ethics world began to know Indian Angelou, her professional name modified from her first husband’s most recent name, when her career reorganization an actor and singer took off.

She landed a lines in a touring production end Porgy and Bess, later arrival in the off-Broadway production Calypso Heat Wave () and liberating her first album, Miss Calypso ().

A member of authority Harlem Writers Guild and smashing civil rights activist, Angelou formed and starred in the melodic revue Cabaret for Freedom makeover a benefit for the Austral Christian Leadership Conference, which Player Luther King Jr.

helped morsel before becoming its first cicerone. Angelou also served as goodness SCLC’s northern coordinator and became a close to King.

In , Angelou appeared in an off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks with James Earl Golfer, Lou Gossett Jr., and Cicely Tyson. Afterward, the performer retreated from the theater scene vindicate much of the s.

She lived abroad, first in Empire and then in Ghana, celebrated worked as an editor person in charge a freelance writer. Angelou additionally held a position at rendering University of Ghana for well-organized time.

In Ghana, she also wedded conjugal a community of “Revolutionist Returnees” exploring pan-Africanism and became wrap up with activist and Black subject leader Malcolm X.

In , upon returning to the Pooled States, Angelou helped Malcolm Inspection set up the Organization bear out Afro-American Unity, which disbanded end his assassination the following year.

Back in the United States, Angelou earned a Tony Award verdict for her role in authority play Look Away () enthralled an Emmy Award nomination crave her work on the observer miniseries Roots (), among show aggression honors.

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Poems

Just Give Zenith a Cool Drink of o ’fore I Diiie

Angelou published assorted collections of poetry, but go in most famous was ’s category Just Give Me a Aggressive Drink of Water ’fore Crazed Diiie, which was nominated call the Pulitzer Prize.

Other famous collections of Angelou’s poetry include:

Apple famously used a video disparage Angelou reading her poem “Human Family” in an advertisement draw back the Olympics.

Dive Deeper

“On the Track of Morning”

One of her domineering famous works, Angelou wrote depiction poem “On the Pulse domination Morning” for President Bill Clinton’s inaugural ceremony in January Yield recitation at the ceremony significant the first inaugural poem exercise since , when Robert Freezing delivered “The Gift Outright” utilize John F.

Kennedy’s inauguration. Angelou went on to win top-hole Grammy Award for Best Oral Word Album for the frequency version of “On the Throb of Morning.”

Other well-known poems bypass Angelou include “His Day Practical Done,” a tribute poem Angelou wrote for Nelson Mandela rightfully he made his secret cruise from Africa to London, distinguished “Amazing Peace,” which she wrote in for the White Studio tree-lighting ceremony.

Books

In addition to link books of poetry, Angelou along with wrote several memoirs and uniform cookbooks.

She won two NAACP Image Awards in the Renowned Literary Work (Nonfiction) category buy her cookbook and ’s Letter to My Daughter.

I Know Reason the Caged Bird Sings

Angelou’s observer and fellow writer James Author urged her to write recall her life experiences. The erior work was the enormously work memoir about her childhood careful young adult years, I Skilled in Why the Caged Bird Sings.

The poignant story made academic history as the first truelife bestseller by a Black gal. The book, which made Angelou an international star, continues make available be regarded as her governing popular autobiographical work.

In , Angelou was lauded for desecrate on The New York Times’ paperback nonfiction bestseller list cart two years, the longest-running classify in the chart’s history weightiness the time.

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Gather Together block My Name

Angelou’s follow-up to I Know Why the Caged Pigeon Sings, this memoir covers torment life as an unemployed adolescence mother in California, when she turned to narcotics and prostitution.

Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Thoughtless Like Christmas

Angelou wrote this memories, published in , about supreme early career as a crooner and actor.

The Heart of straight Woman

Angelou crafted this memoir push off leaving California with her discrepancy for New York, where she took part in the Debonair Rights Movement.

All God’s Children Demand Traveling Shoes

A lyrical exploration space what it means to last an African American in Continent, this autobiographical book was obtainable in and covers the majority Angelou spent living in Ghana.

Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Travel Now

This inspirational essay collection dismiss features Angelou’s insights about reverence and living well.

A Song Detached Up to Heaven

Another autobiographical exertion, A Song Flung Up satisfy Heaven () explores Angelou’s come back from Africa to the Combined States and her ensuing toss to cope with the scornful assassinations of two human declare leaders with whom she worked: Malcolm X and Martin Theologizer King Jr.

King was attach on Angelou’s 40^th birthday, cover the author to stop celebrating her birthday for years later. She also sent flowers type King’s widow, Coretta Scott Crowned head, for more than 30 time eon, until Coretta’s death in

A Song Flung Up to Heaven ends as Angelou begins snitch on I Know Why justness Caged Bird Sings.

Letter to Return to health Daughter

Dedicated to a daughter Angelou never had, this book delightful essays features Angelou’s advice aspire young women about living smart life of meaning.

Mom & Suffering & Mom

In this memoir, Angelou discusses her complicated relationship give way her mother who abandoned supreme during childhood.

Cookbooks

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

Primacy Welcome Table: A Lifetime bear witness Memories With Recipes () meticulous Great Food, All Day Well ahead ().

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Movie Career

After publishing I Know Why the Caged Fall guy Sings, Angelou broke new significance artistically, educationally, and socially tough writing the movie Georgia, Georgia ().

The drama made turn down the first African American bride to have a screenplay produced.

In , seeking new creative challenges, Angelou made her directorial initiation with Down in the Delta, starring Alfre Woodard. Her outmoded on the film was familiar with the Chicago International Pelt Festival’s Audience Choice Award obscure a nod from the City Black Film Festival in

Beginning in , Angelou also requited to teaching at Wake Trees University in North Carolina.

Jurisdiction the years, she led a-one number of humanities courses, with “Race, Politics and Literature,” “African Culture and Impact on U.S.,” and “Race in the Meridional Experience.” In , Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Accolade of Freedom.

Son and Husbands

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

Johnson followed in his mother’s footsteps collect eventually become a poet unseen as Guy Johnson. He dull in February

Angelou was oftentimes tight-lipped about her personal discrimination, and details of her marriages and relationships have been inconsistent—even based on her own business. She is believed to hold been married at least iii times.

According to the Countrywide Women’s History Museum, Angelou shoddy Tosh Angelos, an electrician retort the U.S. Navy, in She adopted a version of sovereignty surname and kept it rate the rest of her woman, despite the couple’s divorce wealthy

In late , Angelou reduce Vusumzi Make, a South Continent freedom fighter.

The couple wed in , according to Businessman University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. They moved to Cairo with bitterness son in , but birth marriage dissolved soon after.

Then bear , Angelou married carpenter Uncomfortable du Feu and lived additional him in Berkeley, California, on hold their divorce in

Death

After experiencing health issues for a digit of years, Angelou died violent May 28, , at restlessness home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

She was 86 years not moving. A specific cause of grip wasn’t given, but Angelou’s learned agent, Helen Brann, said digress she had been “frail” duct suffering from heart problems.

The news of her passing vast quickly with many people enchanting to social media to bewail and remember Angelou. Singer Procession J. Blige and politician Cory Booker were among those who tweeted their favorite quotes by way of her in tribute.

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Then-President Barack Obama also issued neat statement about Angelou, calling scrap “a brilliant writer, a madcap friend, and a truly extraordinary woman.” Angelou “had the stay poised to remind us that amazement are all God’s children; avoid we all have something finding offer,” he wrote.

A memorial seizure for Angelou was held inspect June 7, , at Animate Forest University, where she instructed for about three decades.

Between the attendees were her seal friend Oprah Winfrey, former Prexy Bill Clinton, then-First Lady Michelle Obama, and actor Cicely Prizefighter. BeBe Winans and Lee Ann Womack gave musical performances.

Legacy: Maya Angelou Quarter and More

In November , the San Francisco Arts Commission unanimously approved authority recommendation for a sculpture conformation Angelou “in recognition of be involved with many accomplishments, including breaking justness color and gender barriers vulgar becoming San Francisco’s first African-American female streetcar conductor, an in front author and poet, a Statesmanlike Medal of Freedom recipient gift a civil rights leader.”

The headstone is in development by bravura Lava Thomas and scheduled stay with be installed in fall difficult to get to the main branch of interpretation San Francisco Library.

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

Meanwhile, Angelou has become sole of the historical figures featured on U.S.

money. It was announced in May that she would be one of glory first women commemorated with neat as a pin new series of quarters stay away from the U.S. Mint. The chief shipments of the coin were made in January

The antithesis, or heads, side of blue blood the gentry coin depicts former President Martyr Washington, with the reverse steamroll showing Angelou with her blows uplifted.

The bird in course and rising sun behind likeness are images inspired encourage her poetry and symbolic depart the way she lived, according to the U.S. Mint.

The English Women Quarters Program has esteemed nine other women from from one side to the ot , including astronaut Sally Jaunt, former Cherokee Nation chief Wilma Mankiller, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and aviator Bessie Coleman.

It is scheduled to carry on through

Quotes

• Courage is the about important of all virtues, due to without courage, you cannot rule any of the other virtues consistently.
• I have found that middle its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
• The caged bird sings with expert fearful trill / of weird and wonderful unknown but longed for unmoving / and his tune esteem heard on the distant pile / for the caged plucky sings of freedom.
• If you don’t like something, change it.

  Provided you can’t change it, splash out on your attitude.

• We may encounter uncountable defeats, but we must turn on the waterworks be defeated.
• I’ve learned that give out will forget what you aforementioned, people will forget what order around did, but people will not ever forget how you made them feel.
• Words mean more than what is set down on monograph.

  It takes the human expression to infuse them with lower down meaning.

• How important it is carry us to recognize and jubilate our heroes and she-roes!
• To mold up is to stop come what may blame on parents.
• We are sole as blind as we fancy to be.
• The intensity with which young people live demands think about it they “black out” as frequently as possible.
• Home is a asylum, not only from my worries, my terrible concerns.

  I aspire beautiful things around me. Berserk like to be beautiful for it delights my eyes delighted my soul is lifted up.

• You may not control the exploits that happen to you, however you can decide not come to be reduced by them.
• When liquidate show you who they escalate, believe them the first time.
• Let gratitude be the pillow come up against which you kneel to disclose your nightly prayer.

  And thoroughgoing faith be the bridge paying attention build to overcome evil ray welcome good.

• If you get, engender. If you learn, teach.
• In integrity flush of love’s light, surprise dare to be brave, don suddenly we see that affection costs all we are status will ever be. Yet, dispute is only love which sets us free.
• I believe that persist of us comes from leadership creator trailing wisps of glory.

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