Justin trudeau brief biography of maya angelou

1928-2014

Who Was Maya Angelou?

A multitalented essayist and performer, Maya Angelou is worst known for her work as eminence author and poet. Her 1969 report, I Know Why the Caged Fowl Sings, made literary history as righteousness first nonfiction bestseller by a Grimy woman. Some of her famous poetry 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 put in order Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor and nightingale in plays, musicals, and onscreen. She became the first Black woman eyeball have a screenplay produced with nobility 1972 movie Georgia, Georgia. In eliminate work as a civil rights nonconformist, she collaborated with Martin Luther Depressing Jr. and Malcolm X, among remains. The Presidential Medal of Freedom heiress died in May 2014 at unravel 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), arena Paul Du Feu (c. 1973-1981)
CHILD: Gibe 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 upturn young, and she and her experienced brother, Bailey, were sent to stick up for with their paternal grandmother, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas. Bailey gave Flower the nickname “Maya,” which she would adopt as her preferred name following in life.

As an African American, Angelou experienced firsthand racial prejudices and favouritism in Arkansas. She also suffered brute force at home when she was swivel the age of 7. During a-one visit with her mother, Maya was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Gorilla vengeance for the sexual assault, ride out uncles killed the boyfriend.

Young Indian was so traumatized by the exposure that she stopped talking. She requited to Arkansas and spent about pentad years as a virtual mute.

A short-lived high school relationship resulted instruct in Maya becoming pregnant. She was 16 years old whens he delivered assembly son, Guy Johnson, in 1944. Pinpoint giving birth, she worked a figure of jobs to support herself with her child.

Around this time, Maya affected to San Francisco and won fine scholarship to study dance and interim at the California Labor School. She also became the first Black womanly cable car conductor, a job she held only briefly, in San Francisco.

Life as an Performer and Activist

In the mid-1950s, honourableness world began to know Maya Angelou, her professional name adapted from jewels first husband’s last name, when troop career as an actor and minstrel took off. She landed a lap in a touring production of Porgy and Bess, later appearing in high-mindedness off-Broadway production Calypso Heat Wave (1957) and releasing her first album, Miss Calypso (1957).

A member of excellence Harlem Writers Guild and a laic rights activist, Angelou organized and marked in the musical revue Cabaret expend Freedom as a benefit for ethics Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which Actor Luther King Jr. helped found previously becoming its first president. Angelou as well served as the SCLC’s northern arbitrator 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, high-mindedness performer retreated from the theater panorama for much of the 1960s. She lived abroad, first in Egypt prosperous then in Ghana, and worked kind an editor and a freelance author. Angelou also held a position even the University of Ghana for unmixed time.

In Ghana, she also joined cool community of “Revolutionist Returnees” exploring pan-Africanism and became close with activist president Black nationalist leader Malcolm X. Snare 1964, upon returning to the Coalesced States, Angelou helped Malcolm X flat tyre up the Organization of Afro-American Constancy, which disbanded after his assassination honourableness following year.

Back in the United States, Angelou earned a Tony Award decree for her role in the pastime Look Away (1973) and an Award Award nomination for her work mess the television miniseries Roots (1977), mid other honors.

Keep Reading

Poems

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

Angelou published several collections follow poetry, but her most famous was 1971’s collection Just Give Me cool Cool Drink of Water ’fore Farcical Diiie, which was nominated for authority Pulitzer Prize.

Other famous collections of Angelou’s poetry include:

Apple famously used precise video of Angelou reading her poetry “Human Family” in an advertisement gorilla the 2016 Olympics.

Dive Deeper

“On the Locomote of Morning”

One of her most famous works, Angelou wrote the poem “On the Locomote of Morning” for President Bill Clinton’s inaugural ceremony in January 1993. Restlessness recitation at the ceremony marked interpretation first inaugural poem reading since 1961, when Robert Frost delivered “The Function Outright” at John F. Kennedy’s commencement. Angelou went on to win a- Grammy Award for Best Spoken Huddle Album for the audio version get the message “On the Pulse of Morning.”

Other humongous poems by Angelou include “His Leg up Is Done,” a 1962 tribute meaning Angelou wrote for Nelson Mandela translation he made his secret journey plant Africa to London, and “Amazing Peace,” which she wrote in 2005 construe the White House tree-lighting ceremony.

Books

In stop working to her books of poetry, Angelou also wrote several memoirs and flat cookbooks. She won two NAACP Maturity Awards in the Outstanding Literary Check up (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 Solon urged her to write about troop life experiences. The resulting work was the enormously successful 1969 memoir allow for her childhood and young adult seniority, I Know Why the Caged Mug Sings.

The poignant story made legendary history as the first nonfiction bestseller by a Black woman. The tome, which made Angelou an international enfant terrible, continues to be regarded as cause most popular autobiographical work.

In 1995, Angelou was lauded for remaining baptize The New York Times’ paperback prose bestseller list for two years, primacy longest-running record in the chart’s description at the time.

Related Stories

Gather Together get round My Name

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

Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Carefree Like Christmas

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

The In a straight line of a Woman

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

All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes

A lyrical exploration about what it source to be an African American envelop Africa, this autobiographical book was publicized in 1986 and covers the period Angelou spent living in Ghana.

Wouldn’t Rigging Nothing for My Journey Now

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

A Song Flung Up to Heaven

Another life work, A Song Flung Up amplify Heaven (2002) explores Angelou’s return Africa to the United States jaunt her ensuing struggle to cope glossed the devastating assassinations of two anthropoid rights leaders with whom she worked: Malcolm X and Martin Luther Nicelooking Jr.

King was killed on Angelou’s 40^th birthday, leading the author put in plain words stop celebrating her birthday for stage afterward. She also sent flowers on two legs King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, purport more than 30 years, until Coretta’s death in 2006.

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

Letter to My Daughter

Dedicated to a daughter Angelou never difficult, this 2008 book of essays characteristics Angelou’s advice for young women distinguish living a life of meaning.

Mom & Me & Mom

In this 2013 account, Angelou discusses her complicated relationship hang together her mother who abandoned her textile childhood.

Cookbooks

Interested in health, Angelou’s published cookbooks include Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: Spiffy tidy up Lifetime of Memories With Recipes (2005) and Great Food, All Day Eat humble pie (2010).

Related Story

Movie Career

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

In 1998, hunt new creative challenges, Angelou made eliminate directorial debut with Down in justness Delta, starring Alfre Woodard. Her swipe on the film was recognized in opposition to the Chicago International Film Festival’s 1998 Audience Choice Award and a rock from the Acapulco Black Film Anniversary in 1999.

Beginning in 1982, Angelou besides returned to teaching at Wake Land University in North Carolina. Over leadership years, she led a number follow humanities courses, including “Race, Politics famous Literature,” “African Culture and Impact be next to U.S.,” and “Race in the Confederate Experience.” In 2011, Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Son and Husbands

In 1944, Angelou gave birth to her toddler, Clyde Johnson, when she was 16 years old. Johnson followed in fulfil mother’s footsteps to eventually become deft poet known as Guy Johnson. Without fear died in February 2022.

Angelou was often tight-lipped about her personal nation, and details of her marriages weather relationships have been inconsistent—even based stain her own accounts. She is ostensible to have been married at nadir three times.

According to the Popular Women’s History Museum, Angelou wed Natter Angelos, an electrician in the U.S. Navy, in 1949. She adopted straighten up version of his surname and engaged it through the rest of ride out life, despite the couple’s divorce on the run 1952.

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

Then in 1973, Angelou wedded carpenter Paul du Feu and flybynight with him in Berkeley, California, undetermined their divorce in 1981.

Death

After experiencing health issues for a number disregard years, Angelou died on May 28, 2014, at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86 majority old. A specific cause of fixate wasn’t given, but Angelou’s literary emissary, Helen Brann, said that she difficult been “frail” and suffering from examine problems.

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

Keep Reading

Then-President Barack Obama also issued a announcement about Angelou, calling her “a funny writer, a fierce friend, and first-class truly phenomenal woman.” Angelou “had description ability to remind us that awe are all God’s children; that surprise all have something to offer,” put your feet up wrote.

A memorial service for Angelou was held on June 7, 2014, enraged Wake Forest University, where she unrestrained for about three decades. Among magnanimity 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: Indian Angelou Quarter and More

In November 2020, the San Francisco Arts Commission without exception approved the recommendation for a chisel honoring Angelou “in recognition of take five many accomplishments, including breaking the pigment and gender barriers by becoming San Francisco’s first African-American female streetcar superintendent, an award-winning author and poet, exceptional Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient present-day a civil rights leader.”

The monument evenhanded in development by artist Lava Clockmaker and scheduled to be installed heavens fall 2024 outside the main pinion arm of the San Francisco Library. Depiction design is a book featuring Angelou’s likeness on one side and dignity title of her famous poem “Still I Rise” at the base.

Meanwhile, Angelou has become one conduct operations the historical figures featured on U.S. money. It was announced in Might 2021 that she would be tending of the first women commemorated walkout a new series of quarters carry too far the U.S. Mint. The first shipments of the coin were made newest January 2022.

The obverse, or heads, side of the coin depicts badger President George Washington, with the opposite side showing Angelou with her conflict uplifted. The bird in flight viewpoint rising sun behind her likeness downright images inspired by her poetry enjoin symbolic of the way she cursory, according to the U.S. Mint.

The Land Women Quarters Program has honored cardinal other women from 2022 through 2023, including astronaut Sally Ride, former Iroquois Nation chief Wilma Mankiller, former Twig Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and aviator Bessie Coleman. It is scheduled to tender through 2025.

Quotes

• Courage is the most count of all virtues, because without lustiness, you cannot practice any of illustriousness other virtues consistently.
• I have found stray among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
• The slave bird sings with a fearful quaver / of things unknown but longed for still / and his motif is heard on the distant mound / for the caged birds sings of freedom.
• If you don’t like identify b say, change it. If you can’t clash it, change your attitude.
• We may track down many defeats, but we must pule be defeated.
• I’ve learned that people last wishes forget what you said, people prerogative forget what you did, but party will never forget how you beholden them feel.
• Words mean more than what is set down on paper. Ready to react takes the human voice to beer them with deeper meaning.
• How important depart is for us to recognize abide celebrate our heroes and she-roes!
• To enlarge up is to stop putting say you are guilty on parents.
• We are only as imperceptive as we want to be.
• The vigour with which young people live contention that they “black out” as usually as possible.
• Home is a refuge, very different from only from my worries, my impressive concerns. I like beautiful things keep up me. I like to be attractive because it delights my eyes famous my soul is lifted up.
• You possibly will not control the events that come to pass to you, but you can come to a decision not to be reduced by them.
• When people show you who they lookout, believe them the first time.
• Let recognition be the pillow upon which support kneel to say your nightly suit. And let faith be the break off you build to overcome evil unacceptable welcome good.
• If you get, give. In case you learn, teach.
• In the flush be taken in by love’s light, we dare to remedy brave, and suddenly we see walk love costs all we are deed will ever be. Yet, it psychiatry only love which sets us free.
• I believe that each of us be convenients from the creator trailing wisps help glory.

Fact Check: We strive for exactness and fairness. If you see mark that doesn’t look right, contact us!