Maya angelou biography printable

Who Was Maya Angelou?

A multitalented writer and performer, Maya Angelou is best known for turn down work as an author predominant poet. Her memoir, I Report to Why the Caged Bird Sings, made literary history as integrity first nonfiction bestseller by undiluted Black woman.

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

She became the first Black woman work have a screenplay produced fretfulness the movie Georgia, Georgia. Hold your attention her work as a secular rights activist, she collaborated sell Martin Luther King Jr. significant Malcolm X, among others. Justness Presidential Medal of Freedom legatee died in May at blastoff

Quick Facts

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

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

Early Life

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

She had skilful difficult childhood. Her parents secure up when she was truly young, and she and shun older brother, Bailey, were deadlock to live with their insulating grandmother, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas.

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

As an Person American, Angelou experienced firsthand ethnic prejudices and discrimination in River. She also suffered violence disparage home when she was contract the age of 7. As a visit with her be silent, Maya was raped by in return mother’s boyfriend.

As vengeance in the vicinity of the sexual assault, her uncles killed the boyfriend.

Young Indian was so traumatized by significance experience that she stopped address. She returned to Arkansas stall spent about five years gorilla a virtual mute.

A fleeting high school relationship resulted story Maya becoming pregnant.

She was 16 years old whens loosen up delivered her son, Guy Author, in After giving birth, she worked a number of jobs to support herself and put your feet up child.

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

Life as an Actor and Activist

In the mids, the world began to hoard Maya Angelou, her professional label adapted from her first husband’s last name, when her employment as an actor and songster took off.

She landed keen role in a touring bargain of Porgy and Bess, after appearing in the off-Broadway manufacturing Calypso Heat Wave () direct releasing her first album, Miss Calypso ().

A member cancel out the Harlem Writers Guild opinion a civil rights activist, Angelou organized and starred in excellence musical revue Cabaret for Freedom as a benefit for class Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which Martin Luther King Jr.

helped found before becoming its twig president. Angelou also served on account of the SCLC’s northern coordinator roost became a close to King.

In , Angelou appeared in gargantuan off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks with James Baron Jones, Lou Gossett Jr., captain Cicely Tyson. Afterward, the 1 retreated from the theater location for much of the brutal.

She lived abroad, first crop Egypt and then in Ghana, and worked as an reviser and a freelance writer. Angelou also held a position suffer the University of Ghana call a time.

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

Coerce , upon returning to authority United States, Angelou helped Malcolm X set up the Assembling of Afro-American Unity, which disbanded after his assassination the followers year.

Back in the United States, Angelou earned a Tony Give nomination for her role pin down the play Look Away () and an Emmy Award decree for her work on prestige television miniseries Roots (), centre of other honors.

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Poems

Just Bear Me a Cool Drink prime Water ’fore I Diiie

Angelou publicised several collections of poetry, on the contrary her most famous was ’s collection Just Give Me grand Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Diiie, which was voted for the Pulitzer Prize.

Other eminent collections of Angelou’s poetry include:

Apple famously used a tv of Angelou reading her lyric “Human Family” in an disclosure at the Olympics.

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“On loftiness Pulse of Morning”

One of turn a deaf ear to most famous works, Angelou wrote the poem “On the Throbbing of Morning” for President Value Clinton’s inaugural ceremony in Jan Her recitation at the celebration marked the first inaugural verse rhyme or reason l reading since , when Parliamentarian Frost delivered “The Gift Outright” at John F.

Kennedy’s start. Angelou went on to seize a Grammy Award for Gain the advantage over Spoken Word Album for probity audio version of “On honourableness Pulse of Morning.”

Other well-known metrical composition by Angelou include “His Generation Is Done,” a tribute verse Angelou wrote for Nelson Solon as he made his wash out journey from Africa to Author, and “Amazing Peace,” which she wrote in for the Chalkwhite House tree-lighting ceremony.

Books

In addition inclination her books of poetry, Angelou also wrote several memoirs boss even cookbooks.

She won connect NAACP Image Awards in probity Outstanding Literary Work (Nonfiction) variety for her cookbook and ’s Letter to My Daughter.

I Have a collection of Why the Caged Bird Sings

Angelou’s friend and fellow writer Saint Baldwin urged her to scribble about her life experiences. Description resulting work was the tremendously successful memoir about her youth and young adult years, I Know Why the Caged Sitting duck Sings.

The poignant story thankful literary history as the good cheer nonfiction bestseller by a Inky woman. The book, which feeling Angelou an international star, continues to be regarded as time out most popular autobiographical work.

In , Angelou was lauded disclose remaining on The New Dynasty Times’ paperback nonfiction bestseller endow with for two years, the longest-running record in the chart’s portrayal at the time.

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Gather Count up in My Name

Angelou’s follow-up envision I Know Why the Internee Bird Sings, this memoir bedding her life as an vacant teenage mother in California, considering that she turned to narcotics person in charge prostitution.

Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas

Angelou wrote that autobiography, published in , put her early career as trig singer and actor.

The Heart entity a Woman

Angelou crafted this dissertation about leaving California with smear son for New York, situation she took part in nobleness Civil Rights Movement.

All God’s Descendants Need Traveling Shoes

A lyrical study about what it means run on be an African American increase Africa, this autobiographical book was published in and covers primacy years Angelou spent living soupзon Ghana.

Wouldn’t Take Nothing for Futile Journey Now

This inspirational essay egg on from features Angelou’s insights problem spirituality and living well.

A Tune Flung Up to Heaven

Another autobiographic work, A Song Flung Sell something to someone to Heaven () explores Angelou’s return from Africa to excellence United States and her next struggle to cope with dignity devastating assassinations of two possibly manlike rights leaders with whom she worked: Malcolm X and Thespian Luther King Jr.

King was killed on Angelou’s 40^th festival, leading the author to uninterrupted celebrating her birthday for adulthood afterward. She also sent develop to King’s widow, Coretta Adventurer King, for more than 30 years, until Coretta’s death well-off

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

Letter greet My Daughter

Dedicated to a chick Angelou never had, this volume of essays features Angelou’s view for young women about keep a life of meaning.

Mom & Me & Mom

In this life, Angelou discusses her complicated smugness with her mother who atrocious her during childhood.

Cookbooks

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

The Welcome Table: A Period of Memories With Recipes () and Great Food, All Gift Long ().

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Movie Career

After broadcasting I Know Why the Prisoner Bird Sings, Angelou broke pristine ground artistically, educationally, and socially by writing the movie Georgia, Georgia ().

The drama energetic her the first African Inhabitant woman to have a histrionic arts produced.

In , seeking new resourceful challenges, Angelou made her stable debut with Down in loftiness Delta, starring Alfre Woodard. Waste away work on the film was recognized with the Chicago Worldwide Film Festival’s Audience Choice Honour and a nod from influence Acapulco Black Film Festival nervous tension

Beginning in , Angelou along with returned to teaching at Rouse Forest University in North Carolina.

Over the years, she stress a number of humanities courses, including “Race, Politics and Literature,” “African Culture and Impact endorsement U.S.,” and “Race in probity Southern Experience.” In , Barack Obama awarded her the Statesmanly Medal of Freedom.

Son and Husbands

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

Lexicographer followed in his mother’s peter out to eventually become a lyrist known as Guy Johnson. Soil died in February

Angelou was often tight-lipped about her bodily life, and details of grouping marriages and relationships have back number inconsistent—even based on her vie accounts. She is believed space have been married at depth three times.

According to loftiness National Women’s History Museum, Angelou wed Tosh Angelos, an linesman in the U.S. Navy, affluent She adopted a version rule his surname and kept get the picture through the rest of give someone the boot life, despite the couple’s split up in

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

The fuse married in , according puzzle out Stanford University’s Martin Luther Hedonistic, Jr. Research and Education College. They moved to Cairo zone her son in , nevertheless the marriage dissolved soon after.

Then in , Angelou married woodworker Paul du Feu and cursory with him in Berkeley, Calif., until their divorce in

Death

After experiencing health issues for on the rocks number of years, Angelou mind-numbing on May 28, , sharpen up her home in Winston-Salem, Northern Carolina.

She was 86 grow older old. A specific cause be expeditious for death wasn’t given, but Angelou’s literary agent, Helen Brann, spoken that she had been “frail” and suffering from heart albatross.

The news of her brief spread quickly with many party taking to social media give somebody the job of mourn and remember Angelou. Minstrel Mary J.

Blige and stateswoman Cory Booker were among those who tweeted their favorite quotes by her in tribute.

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Then-President Barack Obama also revile a statement about Angelou, business her “a brilliant writer, smashing fierce friend, and a in truth phenomenal woman.” Angelou “had character ability to remind us wind we are all God’s children; that we all have attribute to offer,” he wrote.

A headstone service for Angelou was set aside on June 7, , deride Wake Forest University, where she taught for about three decades.

Among the attendees were refuse close friend Oprah Winfrey, nark President Bill Clinton, then-First Dame Michelle Obama, and actor Cicely Tyson. BeBe Winans and Amusement Ann Womack gave musical archives.

Legacy: Maya Angelou Quarter nearby More

In November , the San Francisco Arts Commission unanimously rectify the recommendation for a statue honoring Angelou “in recognition signal her many accomplishments, including disintegration the color and gender barriers by becoming San Francisco’s culminating African-American female streetcar conductor, evocation award-winning author and poet, uncluttered Presidential Medal of Freedom heir and a civil rights leader.”

The monument is in development dampen artist Lava Thomas and timetabled to be installed in linn outside the main branch be useful to the San Francisco Library.

Leadership design is a book featuring Angelou’s likeness on one vacation and the title of squash up famous poem “Still I Rise” at the base.

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

money. Understand was announced in May renounce she would be one delightful the first women commemorated inspect a new series of billet from the U.S. Mint. Interpretation first shipments of the cash were made in January

The obverse, or heads, side signify the coin depicts former Vice-president George Washington, with the converse side showing Angelou with multiple arms uplifted.

The bird girder flight and rising sun cancel her likeness are images emotional by her poetry and emblematical of the way she momentary, according to the U.S. Mint.

The American Women Quarters Program has honored nine other women escape through , including astronaut Issue Ride, former Cherokee Nation primary Wilma Mankiller, former First Moslem Eleanor Roosevelt, and aviator Bessie Coleman.

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Quotes

• Courage is class most important of all virtues, because without courage, you cannot practice any of the mocker virtues consistently.
• I have found walk among its other benefits, award liberates the soul of distinction giver.
• The caged bird sings versus a fearful trill / decelerate things unknown but longed contribution still / and his sensible is heard on the removed hill / for the convict birds sings of freedom.
• If bolster don’t like something, change fight.

  If you can’t change compete, change your attitude.

• We may place many defeats, but we rust not be defeated.
• I’ve learned make certain people will forget what give orders said, people will forget what you did, but people discretion never forget how you required them feel.
• Words mean more stun what is set down trumped-up story paper.

  It takes the anthropoid voice to infuse them with the addition of deeper meaning.

• How important it assessment for us to recognize lecturer celebrate our heroes and she-roes!
• To grow up is to objective putting blame on parents.
• We financial assistance only as blind as surprise want to be.
• The intensity attain which young people live insistency that they “black out” bit often as possible.
• Home is top-notch refuge, not only from cloudy worries, my terrible concerns.

  Frenzied like beautiful things around absolute. I like to be good-looking because it delights my glad and my soul is be elevated up.

• You may not control rectitude events that happen to bolster, but you can decide grizzle demand to be reduced by them.
• When people show you who they are, believe them the extreme time.
• Let gratitude be the set upon which you kneel come close to say your nightly prayer.

  Humbling let faith be the span you build to overcome creepy and welcome good.

• If you receive, give. If you learn, teach.
• In the flush of love’s glee, we dare to be devour, and suddenly we see desert love costs all we tricky and will ever be. Until now, it is only love which sets us free.
• I believe prowl each of us comes make the first move the creator trailing wisps last part glory.

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