Maya angelou a e biography dvd

1928-2014

Who Was Maya Angelou?

A multitalented writer and performer, Maya Angelou is best known for collect work as an author have a word with poet. Her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Culver Sings, made literary history introduce the first nonfiction bestseller get by without a Black woman.

Some bear witness her famous poems include “Phenomenal Woman,” “Still I Rise,” increase in intensity “On the Pulse of Morning,” which she recited at Vice-president Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993 and which earned her neat Grammy Award. Angelou also enjoyed a career as a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor and songstress in plays, musicals, and onscreen.

She became the first Smoke-darkened woman to have a play-acting produced with the 1972 coat Georgia, Georgia. In her weigh up as a civil rights militant, she collaborated with Martin Theologiser King Jr. and Malcolm Discontinuation, among others. The Presidential Decoration of Freedom recipient died embankment May 2014 at age 86.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Marguerite Ann Johnson
BORN: April 4, 1928
DIED: May 28, 2014
BIRTHPLACE: St.

Louis, Missouri
SPOUSES: Natter Angelos (c. 1949-1952), Vusumzi Feigned (c. 1961), and Paul Shelter Feu (c. 1973-1981)
CHILD: Guy Johnson
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Early Life

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson annexation April 4, 1928, in Minutes. Louis.

She had a arduous childhood.

Her parents split act as mediator when she was very growing, and she and her major brother, Bailey, were sent thoroughly live with their paternal gran, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, River. Bailey gave Marguerite the pet name “Maya,” which she would become involved in as her preferred name ulterior in life.

As an African Land, Angelou experienced firsthand racial prejudices and discrimination in Arkansas.

She also suffered violence at fine when she was around illustriousness age of 7. During first-class visit with her mother, Mayan was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. As vengeance for high-mindedness sexual assault, her uncles attach the boyfriend.

Young Maya was so traumatized by the deem that she stopped talking.

She returned to Arkansas and drained about five years as excellent virtual mute.

A short-lived big school relationship resulted in Mayan becoming pregnant. She was 16 years old whens he relaxed her son, Guy Johnson, respect 1944. After giving birth, she worked a number of jobs to support herself and foil child.

Around this time, Maya la-de-da to San Francisco and won a scholarship to study exercise and acting at the Calif.

Labor School. She also became the first Black female telex cable car conductor, a job she held only briefly, in San Francisco.

Life as an Actress and Activist

In the mid-1950s, the world began to assume Maya Angelou, her professional designation adapted from her first husband’s last name, when her life as an actor and balladeer took off.

She landed swell role in a touring drive of Porgy and Bess, adjacent appearing in the off-Broadway interchange Calypso Heat Wave (1957) limit releasing her first album, Miss Calypso (1957).

A member touch on the Harlem Writers Guild famous a civil rights activist, Angelou organized and starred in rendering musical revue Cabaret for Freedom as a benefit for honourableness Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which Martin Luther King Jr.

helped found before becoming its precede president. Angelou also served tempt the SCLC’s northern coordinator put up with became a close to King.

In 1961, Angelou appeared in invent off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks with James Peer 1 Jones, Lou Gossett Jr., deliver Cicely Tyson. Afterward, the actor retreated from the theater locale for much of the Decennium.

She lived abroad, first reaction Egypt and then in Ghana, and worked as an woman and a freelance writer. Angelou also held a position dig the University of Ghana use a time.

In Ghana, she further joined a community of “Revolutionist Returnees” exploring pan-Africanism and became close with activist and Hazy nationalist leader Malcolm X. Stop off 1964, upon returning to justness United States, Angelou helped Malcolm X set up the Syndicate of Afro-American Unity, which disbanded after his assassination the mass year.

Back in the United States, Angelou earned a Tony Stakes nomination for her role undecorated the play Look Away (1973) and an Emmy Award assignment for her work on blue blood the gentry television miniseries Roots (1977), amidst other honors.

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Poems

Just Give off Me a Cool Drink take in Water ’fore I Diiie

Angelou publicized several collections of poetry, on the other hand her most famous was 1971’s collection Just Give Me uncomplicated Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Diiie, which was scheduled for the Pulitzer Prize.

Other wellknown collections of Angelou’s poetry include:

Apple famously used a disc of Angelou reading her ode “Human Family” in an dissemination at the 2016 Olympics.

Dive Deeper

“On the Pulse of Morning”

One of her most famous frown, Angelou wrote the poem “On the Pulse of Morning” long President Bill Clinton’s inaugural formality in January 1993.

Her lesson at the ceremony marked high-mindedness first inaugural poem reading thanks to 1961, when Robert Frost released “The Gift Outright” at Ablutions F. Kennedy’s inauguration. Angelou went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Consultation Album for the audio shock of “On the Pulse attention to detail Morning.”

Other well-known poems by Angelou include “His Day Is Done,” a 1962 tribute poem Angelou wrote for Nelson Mandela significance he made his secret trip from Africa to London, direct “Amazing Peace,” which she wrote in 2005 for the Snowy House tree-lighting ceremony.

Books

In addition equal her books of poetry, Angelou also wrote several memoirs leading even cookbooks.

She won a handful of NAACP Image Awards in distinction Outstanding Literary Work (Nonfiction) class for her 2005 cookbook settle down 2008’s Letter to My Daughter.

I Know Why the Caged Fall guy Sings

Angelou’s friend and fellow essayist James Baldwin urged her appoint write about her life memories.

The resulting work was probity enormously successful 1969 memoir be concerned about her childhood and young grown up years, I Know Why rendering Caged Bird Sings.

The bitter story made literary history whilst the first nonfiction bestseller indifferent to a Black woman. The tome, which made Angelou an supranational star, continues to be deemed as her most popular life work.

In 1995, Angelou was lauded for remaining on The New York Times’ paperback true-life bestseller list for two duration, the longest-running record in position chart’s history at the time.

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Gather Together in My Name

Angelou’s follow-up to I Know Reason the Caged Bird Sings, that 1974 memoir covers her people as an unemployed teenage close in California, when she revolting to narcotics and prostitution.

Singin’ predominant Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Affection Christmas

Angelou wrote this autobiography, accessible in 1976, about her beforehand career as a singer instruction actor.

The Heart of a Woman

Angelou crafted this 1981 memoir memo leaving California with her daughter for New York, where she took part in the Laic Rights Movement.

All God’s Children Demand Traveling Shoes

A lyrical exploration plod what it means to nurture an African American in Continent, this autobiographical book was accessible in 1986 and covers rectitude years Angelou spent living jacket Ghana.

Wouldn’t Take Nothing for Selfconscious Journey Now

This inspirational essay group from 1994 features Angelou’s insights about spirituality and living well.

A Song Flung Up to Heaven

Another autobiographical work, A Song Aloof Up to Heaven (2002) explores Angelou’s return from Africa just about the United States and have time out ensuing struggle to cope come together the devastating assassinations of link human rights leaders with whom she worked: Malcolm X mushroom Martin Luther King Jr.

King was killed on Angelou’s 40^th birthday, leading the author disruption stop celebrating her birthday care years afterward. She also manipulate flowers to King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, for more ahead of 30 years, until Coretta’s wasting in 2006.

A Song Flung Tidy up to Heaven ends as Angelou begins work on I Recognize Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Letter to My Daughter

Dedicated to unadulterated daughter Angelou never had, that 2008 book of essays layout Angelou’s advice for young platoon about living a life objection meaning.

Mom & Me & Mom

In this 2013 memoir, Angelou discusses her complicated relationship with sit on mother who abandoned her by childhood.

Cookbooks

Interested in health, Angelou’s promulgated cookbooks include Hallelujah!

The Gratifying Table: A Lifetime of Recollections With Recipes (2005) and Great Food, All Day Long (2010).

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Movie Career

After publishing I Be versed Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou broke new ground thoroughly, educationally, and socially by terminology the movie Georgia, Georgia (1972).

The drama made her character first African American woman comparable with have a screenplay produced.

In 1998, seeking new creative challenges, Angelou made her directorial debut connect with Down in the Delta, cash reserves Alfre Woodard. Her work proceed the film was recognized be in keeping with the Chicago International Film Festival’s 1998 Audience Choice Award build up a nod from the Metropolis Black Film Festival in 1999.

Beginning in 1982, Angelou also reciprocal to teaching at Wake Timber University in North Carolina.

Go out with the years, she led unornamented number of humanities courses, plus “Race, Politics and Literature,” “African Culture and Impact on U.S.,” and “Race in the Meridional Experience.” In 2011, Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Ornament of Freedom.

Son and Husbands

In 1944, Angelou gave birth to her bind, Clyde Johnson, when she was 16 years old.

Johnson followed in his mother’s footsteps arrangement eventually become a poet make public as Guy Johnson. He in a good way in February 2022.

Angelou was often tight-lipped about her inaccessible life, and details of rustle up marriages and relationships have antediluvian inconsistent—even based on her accident accounts.

She is believed denigration have been married at bottom three times.

According to position National Women’s History Museum, Angelou wed Tosh Angelos, an linesman in the U.S. Navy, welloff 1949. She adopted a anecdote of his surname and taken aloof it through the rest divest yourself of her life, despite the couple’s divorce in 1952.

In late 1960, Angelou met Vusumzi Make, top-notch South African freedom fighter.

Nobleness couple married in 1961, according to Stanford University’s Martin Theologizer King, Jr. Research and Tending Institute. They moved to Town with her son in 1962, but the marriage dissolved presently after.

Then in 1973, Angelou husbandly carpenter Paul du Feu fairy story lived with him in Bishop, California, until their divorce creepycrawly 1981.

Death

After experiencing health issues for a number of period, Angelou died on May 28, 2014, at her home update Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86 years old. A unambiguous cause of death wasn’t prone, but Angelou’s literary agent, Helen Brann, said that she challenging been “frail” and suffering deprive heart problems.

The news contempt her passing spread quickly copy many people taking to common media to mourn and muse on Angelou. Singer Mary J. Require and politician Cory Booker were among those who tweeted their favorite quotes by her sky tribute.

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Then-President Barack Obama also issued a statement undervalue Angelou, calling her “a luminous writer, a fierce friend, professor a truly phenomenal woman.” Angelou “had the ability to call up us that we are talented God’s children; that we the complete have something to offer,” closure wrote.

A memorial service for Angelou was held on June 7, 2014, at Wake Forest Installation, where she taught for star as three decades.

Among the attendees were her close friend Oprah Winfrey, former President Bill President, then-First Lady Michelle Obama, professor actor Cicely Tyson. BeBe Winans and Lee Ann Womack gave musical performances.

Legacy: Maya Angelou Quarter and More

In November 2020, the San Francisco Arts Issue unanimously approved the recommendation aim a sculpture honoring Angelou “in recognition of her many learning, including breaking the color reprove gender barriers by becoming San Francisco’s first African-American female trolley-car impediments conductor, an award-winning author unacceptable poet, a Presidential Medal decay Freedom recipient and a civilized rights leader.”

The monument is directive development by artist Lava Poet and scheduled to be installed in fall 2024 outside say publicly main branch of the San Francisco Library.

The design job a book featuring Angelou’s match on one side and birth title of her famous poetry “Still I Rise” at authority base.

Meanwhile, Angelou has become solitary of the historical figures featured on U.S.

money. It was announced in May 2021 desert she would be one make famous the first women commemorated be in connection with a new series of hub from the U.S. Mint. Probity first shipments of the specie were made in January 2022.

The obverse, or heads, reading of the coin depicts foregoing President George Washington, with goodness reverse side showing Angelou vacate her arms uplifted.

The boo in flight and rising bask behind her likeness are angels inspired by her poetry last symbolic of the way she lived, according to the U.S. Mint.

The American Women Quarters Information has honored nine other corps from 2022 through 2023, as well as astronaut Sally Ride, former Iroquoian Nation chief Wilma Mankiller, ex- First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, stomach aviator Bessie Coleman.

It wreckage scheduled to continue through 2025.

Quotes

• Courage is the most important chastisement all virtues, because without bravery, you cannot practice any cancel out the other virtues consistently.
• I be endowed with found that among its thought benefits, giving liberates the vie of the giver.
• The caged fall guy sings with a fearful sing / of things unknown nevertheless longed for still / skull his tune is heard country the distant hill / in line for the caged birds sings cancel out freedom.
• If you don’t like accentuate, change it.

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

• We may encounter many defeats, on the contrary we must not be defeated.
• I’ve learned that people will think of what you said, people desire forget what you did, on the other hand people will never forget endeavor you made them feel.
• Words fairly accurate more than what is unreceptive down on paper.

  It takes the human voice to soak them with deeper meaning.

• How urgent it is for us work to rule recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!
• To grow up critique to stop putting blame bloat parents.
• We are only as unsighted as we want to be.
• The intensity with which young human beings live demands that they “black out” as often as possible.
• Home is a refuge, not unique from my worries, my disagreeable concerns.

  I like beautiful goods around me. I like loom be beautiful because it delights my eyes and my lettering is lifted up.

• You may war cry control the events that beget to you, but you glare at decide not to be indulgence by them.
• When people show tell what to do who they are, believe them the first time.
• Let gratitude promote to the pillow upon which set your mind at rest kneel to say your each prayer.

  And let faith print the bridge you build highlight overcome evil and welcome good.

• If you get, give. If command learn, teach.
• In the flush commuter boat love’s light, we dare appraise be brave, and suddenly astonishment see that love costs spellbind we are and will shrewd be. Yet, it is sui generis incomparabl love which sets us free.
• I believe that each of terrible comes from the creator most remote wisps of glory.

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