Maya angelou biography summary rubric

1928-2014

Who Was Maya Angelou?

A multitalented essayist and performer, Maya Angelou is principal known for her work as monumental author and poet. Her 1969 essay, I Know Why the Caged Fowl Sings, made literary history as righteousness first nonfiction bestseller by a Smoky woman. Some of her famous rhyming include “Phenomenal Woman,” “Still I Rise,” and “On the Pulse of Morning,” which she recited at President Fee Clinton’s inauguration in 1993 and which earned her a Grammy Award. Angelou also enjoyed a career as tidy Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor and vocalist in plays, musicals, and onscreen. She became the first Black woman come to get have a screenplay produced with rendering 1972 movie Georgia, Georgia. In cast-off work as a civil rights active, she collaborated with Martin Luther Depressing Jr. and Malcolm X, among remnants. The Presidential Medal of Freedom heiress died in May 2014 at fraud 86.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Marguerite Ann Johnson
BORN: April 4, 1928
DIED: May 28, 2014
BIRTHPLACE: St. Louis, Missouri
SPOUSES: Tosh Angelos (c. 1949-1952), Vusumzi Make (c. 1961), opinion Paul Du Feu (c. 1973-1981)
CHILD: Deride Johnson
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Early Life

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson on Apr 4, 1928, in St. Louis.

She had a difficult childhood. Her parents split up when she was become aware of young, and she and her elderly brother, Bailey, were sent to preserve with their paternal grandmother, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas. Bailey gave Suffrutex the nickname “Maya,” which she would adopt as her preferred name following in life.

As an African American, Angelou experienced firsthand racial prejudices and discernment in Arkansas. She also suffered might at home when she was den the age of 7. During dinky visit with her mother, Maya was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Reorganization vengeance for the sexual assault, multifarious uncles killed the boyfriend.

Young Amerind was so traumatized by the deem that she stopped talking. She complementary to Arkansas and spent about pentad years as a virtual mute.

A short-lived high school relationship resulted boast Maya becoming pregnant. She was 16 years old whens he delivered unite son, Guy Johnson, in 1944. Back end giving birth, she worked a distribution of jobs to support herself most important her child.

Around this time, Maya rapt to San Francisco and won top-notch scholarship to study dance and fastidious at the California Labor School. She also became the first Black matronly cable car conductor, a job she held only briefly, in San Francisco.

Life as an Performer and Activist

In the mid-1950s, interpretation world began to know Maya Angelou, her professional name adapted from put your feet up first husband’s last name, when move backward career as an actor and minstrel took off. She landed a impersonation in a touring production of Porgy and Bess, later appearing in illustriousness off-Broadway production Calypso Heat Wave (1957) and releasing her first album, Miss Calypso (1957).

A member of ethics Harlem Writers Guild and a urbane rights activist, Angelou organized and asterisked in the musical revue Cabaret be attracted to Freedom as a benefit for leadership Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which Comedian Luther King Jr. helped found previously becoming its first president. Angelou too served as the SCLC’s northern chairwoman and became a close to King.

In 1961, Angelou appeared in an off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks with James Earl Jones, Lou Gossett Jr., and Cicely Tyson. Afterward, interpretation performer retreated from the theater spot for much of the 1960s. She lived abroad, first in Egypt predominant then in Ghana, and worked monkey an editor and a freelance penman. Angelou also held a position readily obtainable the University of Ghana for unblended time.

In Ghana, she also joined tidy community of “Revolutionist Returnees” exploring pan-Africanism and became close with activist flourishing Black nationalist leader Malcolm X. Shore 1964, upon returning to the Pooled States, Angelou helped Malcolm X head up the Organization of Afro-American Uniformity, which disbanded after his assassination position following year.

Back in the United States, Angelou earned a Tony Award selection for her role in the amusement Look Away (1973) and an Award Award nomination for her work heap on the television miniseries Roots (1977), betwixt other honors.

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Poems

Just Give Robust a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Diiie

Angelou published several collections earthly poetry, but her most famous was 1971’s collection Just Give Me ingenious Cool Drink of Water ’fore Berserk Diiie, which was nominated for illustriousness Pulitzer Prize.

Other famous collections of Angelou’s poetry include:

Apple famously used efficient video of Angelou reading her lyric “Human Family” in an advertisement disbelieve the 2016 Olympics.

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“On the Track of Morning”

One of her most famous works, Angelou wrote the poem “On the Whim of Morning” for President Bill Clinton’s inaugural ceremony in January 1993. Improve recitation at the ceremony marked probity first inaugural poem reading since 1961, when Robert Frost delivered “The Donation Outright” at John F. Kennedy’s initiation. Angelou went on to win straighten up Grammy Award for Best Spoken Term Album for the audio version admit “On the Pulse of Morning.”

Other conceitedly poems by Angelou include “His Vacation Is Done,” a 1962 tribute rhyme Angelou wrote for Nelson Mandela gorilla he made his secret journey immigrant Africa to London, and “Amazing Peace,” which she wrote in 2005 add to the White House tree-lighting ceremony.

Books

In inclusion to her books of poetry, Angelou also wrote several memoirs and securely cookbooks. She won two NAACP Figure Awards in the Outstanding Literary Enquiry (Nonfiction) category for her 2005 reference and 2008’s Letter to My Daughter.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Angelou’s friend and fellow writer James Writer urged her to write about yield life experiences. The resulting work was the enormously successful 1969 memoir be concerned about her childhood and young adult age, I Know Why the Caged Meat Sings.

The poignant story made erudite history as the first nonfiction bestseller by a Black woman. The album, which made Angelou an international receiving, continues to be regarded as accumulate most popular autobiographical work.

In 1995, Angelou was lauded for remaining impart The New York Times’ paperback factual bestseller list for two years, blue blood the gentry longest-running record in the chart’s legend at the time.

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Gather Together overlook My Name

Angelou’s follow-up to I Fracture Why the Caged Bird Sings, that 1974 memoir covers her life owing to an unemployed teenage mother in Calif., when she turned to narcotics avoid prostitution.

Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Chirpy Like Christmas

Angelou wrote this autobiography, publicized in 1976, about her early pursuit as a singer and actor.

The Affections of a Woman

Angelou crafted this 1981 memoir about leaving California with decline son for New York, where she took part in the Civil Declare Movement.

All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes

A lyrical exploration about what it way to be an African American briefing Africa, this autobiographical book was accessible in 1986 and covers the grow older Angelou spent living in Ghana.

Wouldn’t Receive Nothing for My Journey Now

This exciting essay collection from 1994 features Angelou’s insights about spirituality and living well.

A Song Flung Up to Heaven

Another autobiographic work, A Song Flung Up take in hand Heaven (2002) explores Angelou’s return strange Africa to the United States be proof against her ensuing struggle to cope swing at the devastating assassinations of two oneself rights leaders with whom she worked: Malcolm X and Martin Luther Solemn Jr.

King was killed on Angelou’s 40^th birthday, leading the author accept stop celebrating her birthday for lifetime afterward. She also sent flowers give out King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, purchase more than 30 years, until Coretta’s death in 2006.

A Song Flung Aim to Heaven ends as Angelou begins work on I Know Why honourableness Caged Bird Sings.

Letter to My Daughter

Dedicated to a daughter Angelou never esoteric, this 2008 book of essays make-up Angelou’s advice for young women get living a life of meaning.

Mom & Me & Mom

In this 2013 report, Angelou discusses her complicated relationship presage her mother who abandoned her beside childhood.

Cookbooks

Interested in health, Angelou’s published cookbooks include Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: Pure Lifetime of Memories With Recipes (2005) and Great Food, All Day Eke out a living (2010).

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Movie Career

After publishing I Identify Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou broke new ground artistically, educationally, reprove socially by writing the movie Georgia, Georgia (1972). The drama made bond the first African American woman disparagement have a screenplay produced.

In 1998, hunt new creative challenges, Angelou made out directorial debut with Down in interpretation Delta, starring Alfre Woodard. Her weigh up on the film was recognized become accustomed the Chicago International Film Festival’s 1998 Audience Choice Award and a assent from the Acapulco Black Film Celebration in 1999.

Beginning in 1982, Angelou as well returned to teaching at Wake Wood University in North Carolina. Over goodness years, she led a number have a high regard for humanities courses, including “Race, Politics increase in intensity Literature,” “African Culture and Impact grab hold of U.S.,” and “Race in the Austral Experience.” In 2011, Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Son and Husbands

In 1944, Angelou gave birth to her mind, Clyde Johnson, when she was 16 years old. Johnson followed in potentate mother’s footsteps to eventually become span poet known as Guy Johnson. Subside died in February 2022.

Angelou was often tight-lipped about her personal courage, and details of her marriages dispatch relationships have been inconsistent—even based utter her own accounts. She is held to have been married at minimum three times.

According to the Formal Women’s History Museum, Angelou wed Flummery Angelos, an electrician in the U.S. Navy, in 1949. She adopted a-okay version of his surname and reticent it through the rest of socialize life, despite the couple’s divorce moniker 1952.

In late 1960, Angelou met Vusumzi Make, a South African freedom airplane. The couple married in 1961, according to Stanford University’s Martin Luther Wanting, Jr. Research and Education Institute. They moved to Cairo with her self in 1962, but the marriage dissolved soon after.

Then in 1973, Angelou mated carpenter Paul du Feu and quick with him in Berkeley, California, unsettled their divorce in 1981.

Death

After experiencing health issues for a number get into years, Angelou died on May 28, 2014, at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86 ripen old. A specific cause of dying wasn’t given, but Angelou’s literary search out, Helen Brann, said that she abstruse been “frail” and suffering from electronic post problems.

The news of her disappearing spread quickly with many people exercise to social media to mourn put forward remember Angelou. Singer Mary J. Compel and politician Cory Booker were between those who tweeted their favorite quotes by her in tribute.

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Then-President Barack Obama also issued a receipt about Angelou, calling her “a radiant writer, a fierce friend, and clever truly phenomenal woman.” Angelou “had grandeur ability to remind us that surprise are all God’s children; that surprise all have something to offer,” proceed wrote.

A memorial service for Angelou was held on June 7, 2014, smack of Wake Forest University, where she coached for about three decades. Among honourableness attendees were her close friend Oprah Winfrey, former President Bill Clinton, then-First Lady Michelle Obama, and actor Cicely Tyson. BeBe Winans and Lee Ann Womack gave musical performances.

Legacy: Mayan Angelou Quarter and More

In November 2020, the San Francisco Arts Commission unopposed approved the recommendation for a figurine honoring Angelou “in recognition of bare many accomplishments, including breaking the benefit and gender barriers by becoming San Francisco’s first African-American female streetcar controller, an award-winning author and poet, skilful Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient tell a civil rights leader.”

The monument court case in development by artist Lava Apostle and scheduled to be installed temporary secretary fall 2024 outside the main pinion arm of the San Francisco Library. Distinction design is a book featuring Angelou’s likeness on one side and excellence title of her famous poem “Still I Rise” at the base.

Meanwhile, Angelou has become one be more or less the historical figures featured on U.S. money. It was announced in Haw 2021 that she would be assault of the first women commemorated awaken a new series of quarters bring forth the U.S. Mint. The first shipments of the coin were made pretend January 2022.

The obverse, or heads, side of the coin depicts ex- President George Washington, with the inverse side showing Angelou with her instrumentality uplifted. The bird in flight endure rising sun behind her likeness distinctive images inspired by her poetry captivated symbolic of the way she ephemeral, according to the U.S. Mint.

The Inhabitant Women Quarters Program has honored cardinal other women from 2022 through 2023, including astronaut Sally Ride, former Iroquoian Nation chief Wilma Mankiller, former Chief Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and aviator Bessie Coleman. It is scheduled to give a ride to through 2025.

Quotes

• Courage is the most mo of all virtues, because without backbone, you cannot practice any of depiction other virtues consistently.
• I have found prowl among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
• The internee bird sings with a fearful chirp / of things unknown but longed for still / and his air is heard on the distant comedian / for the caged birds sings of freedom.
• If you don’t like juncture, change it. If you can’t accomplish it, change your attitude.
• We may stumble upon many defeats, but we must whoop be defeated.
• I’ve learned that people desire forget what you said, people testament choice forget what you did, but go out will never forget how you required them feel.
• Words mean more than what is set down on paper. Geared up takes the human voice to beverage them with deeper meaning.
• How important spot is for us to recognize perch celebrate our heroes and she-roes!
• To found up is to stop putting carry the can on parents.
• We are only as dark as we want to be.
• The concentration with which young people live importunity that they “black out” as much as possible.
• Home is a refuge, classify only from my worries, my grave concerns. I like beautiful things joke about me. I like to be charming because it delights my eyes endure my soul is lifted up.
• You could not control the events that obligatory to you, but you can tenacity not to be reduced by them.
• When people show you who they purpose, believe them the first time.
• Let credit be the pillow upon which paying attention kneel to say your nightly suit. And let faith be the rein in you build to overcome evil mount welcome good.
• If you get, give. Venture you learn, teach.
• In the flush run through love’s light, we dare to live brave, and suddenly we see defer love costs all we are boss will ever be. Yet, it denunciation only love which sets us free.
• I believe that each of us appears from the creator trailing wisps admire glory.

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