Maya Angelou, born Marquerite Anne Johnson, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. At age 3 her parents divorced, and her and her brother, Bailey, were sent to live with their grandmother. Although racial discrimination was illegal, she still experienced much of it, but also held onto the deep religious faith of the traditional African American life. Maya got the nickname from her brother, whom she shared a close relationship with, and gives credit to her family for the values they taught her.
At age eight, Maya's father came back for Bailey and her, and returned them to their mother. Maya was sexually abused and raped by her mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. She confided in Bailey, and he told the rest of the family. Freeman was jailed for one day, then released. Four days later he was found kicked to death. When Maya found out it was her uncle that killed Freeman, she believed her words had killed the man. She became mute, believing her words could kill anyone.
At age 13, Maya spoke again after she and Bailey rejoined their mother. She won a scholarship to study dance and drama, but dropped out of school later to become San Francisco's first African American female cable car conductor. She went to back to school and graduated. Three weeks after she gave birth to her son, Guy.
Maya accomplished many great things in her life. She helped write, produce, and perform in "Cabaret for Freedom," and starred in Genet's The Blacks. In New York, she fell in love with the South African civil rights activist Vusumzi Make and in 1960, the couple moved, with Angelou's son, to Cairo, Egypt. She met with Malcom X and after returning to America, intended of helping him build his Organization of African American unity. He was assassinated shortly after her arrival though, but she still remained active in the Civil Rights Movement. Maya worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who requested that Angelou serve as Northern Coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. When he was killed on her birthday, she was devastated.
With guidance from her novelist friend, James Baldwin, Maya found comfort in writing and began work on the book that would become I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which tells the story of her life. Maya became a national figure and her writings won her a national audience. She wrote the screenplay and composed the score for the film Georgia, Georgia. This screenplay, the first by an African American woman ever to be filmed, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Maya has been invited by various presidents to serve in various capacities. Carter invited her to serve on the Presidential Commission for International Woman of the Year. Clinton requested her to write a poem to be read on his inauguration day and her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" was broadcast live around the world.Maya Angelou is a great influence to me and a terrific role model. She has written many inspiration books and poems that give hope to every kind of person. Maya has had a tough life and shows that you can learn from any experience you have. I believe she is a true hero and helped to make a difference in African American lives.~Cora
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