Maya Angelou (1928- )

Early life

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri.

Arkansas- racial discrimination. Maya absorbed the deep religious faith and

old-fashioned courtesy of traditional African America.

Values that informed her later life and career.

Arkansas

Mrs. Bertha Flowers, a teacher and friend introduced Maya to classical literature:

Charles Dickens William Shakespeare Edgar Allan Poe, Douglas Johnson James Weldon Johnson, black female artists: Frances Harper Anne Spencer Jessie Fauset

Returning to California

Attended the George Washington High School

Studied dance and drama Before graduating, she worked as the first

black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco. Three weeks after completing school, she gave birth to her son, Clyde known as "Guy Johnson"

Several jobs

Adulthood and early career

1952- Tosh Angelos She toured Europe with a production of the

opera Porgy and Bess in 1954–1955, studied modern dance with Martha Graham.

The 60s

She was inspired to join the Civil Rights movement. King´s speech “ I have a dream”

Egypt- she became an associate editor at the weekly newspaper The Arab Observer.

Ghana- assistant administrator and instructor at the

University of Ghana's School of Music and Drama editor for The African Review acted and wrote plays. learned French, Spanish, and Fante Malcolm X -Organization of African American Unity

Later career 1973- She composed music for movies wrote articles short stories poetry for several magazines continued to write autobiographies produced plays lectured at universities throughout the country She appeared in a supporting role in the television mini-series

Roots in 1977 wrote for television, composed songs for Roberta Flack Her screenplay, Georgia, Georgia, was the first original script by

a black woman to be produced

Honors and awards

National Book Award nomination for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Pulitzer Prize nomination for her book of poetry, Just Give Me A Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Diiie.

Tony Award nomination for her role in the 1973 play Look Away.

Three Grammys for her spoken word album.

Bantam Books, recognized her for having the longest-running record (two years) on The New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Bestseller List.

Maya was awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000 and the Lincoln Medal in 2008.

Musician Ben Harper has honored Angelou with his song "I'll Rise”.

She has been awarded over thirty honorary degrees.

Gather Together in My Name, recounts her life from age 17 to 19 (1945)

Third autobiography, Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas (1952) covers dancing and singing career.

Angelou's first book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, recounts the first 17 years of her life (1969). International recognition.

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/

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