Who Was Maya Angelou?

Maya Angelou was an American author, poet, screenwriter, actress, dancer, and civil rights activist. In 1969. Maya Angelou Short Biography 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ made her popular worldwide. This autobiography created literary history as the first African American woman as a nonfiction bestseller. She also wrote numerous poetry and essay collections. Also, Angelou received several honours throughout her career. She received an honour from the NAACP Image Awards in 2005 and 2009 for her literary work in the nonfiction category. 

Maya Angelou Early Life and Family

Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis in Missouri. Maya Angelou early life was filled with difficulties. When she was very young, both her parents separated. Maya Angelou has an elder brother, named Bailey. Both spent their childhood with their paternal grandmother  Anne Henderson, who was living in  Stamps, Arkansas.

As Angelou was an African American, she experienced firsthand racial prejudices and discrimination in Arkansas. At the age of 7, she also suffered a lot from her family. While she was visiting her mother, she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. To revenge this sexual assault, Angelou's uncles killed her mother’s boyfriend. Because of this act, she got physically injured and stopped talking with others. Later, she returned to Arkansas and spent years together as a virtual mute. These are Maya Angelou facts about her life. 

Maya Angelou Educational Background

As per Maya Angelou brief biography, Angelou got an opportunity to move to San Francisco, California, during  World War II. Later, she won a scholarship at the California Labor School to continue her study, dance and act. At the same time, she qualified and served as the first black female cable car conductor in San Francisco. But she remains temporarily in that job. 

Acting and Singing Career of Maya Angelou 

During the mid-1950’s Angelou began her career as a performer. She played an important role in touring the production of Porgy and Bess. She also appeared in the off-Broadway production Calypso Heat Wave as Miss Calypso, which was her first album released in 1957. 

Angelou became a member of the Harlem Writers Guild and a civil rights activist. Later she organized and starred in the musical revue Cabaret for Freedom, which benefited from the  Southern Christian Leadership Conference. As per Maya Angelou Biography Summary, she is also serving as the SCLC's northern coordinator.

In 1961, Angelou played a role in an off-Broadway production of Jean Genet's The Blacks with  Cicely Tyson, Lou Gossett Jr and James Earl Jones. Angelou was also nominated for the Tony Award in 1973, for the role she played in Look Away. She got an Emmy Award nomination in 1977 for her work on the television miniseries Roots. Maya Angelou Biography Summary explained everything about her career. 

Maya Angelou Facts About Her Life

Angelou in Africa

Maya Angelou spent most of the 1960s in Africa. She initially lived in Egypt and then moved to Ghana. There she was working as an editor and a freelance writer. Angelou also worked at the University of Ghana for short periods of time. 

While she was living in Ghana, she joined hands with the community of "Revolutionist Returnees”  for exploring pan-Africanism. Later she became close with human rights activist and Black nationalist leader Malcolm X. In 1964, she returned to the United States. Even after returning, she helped  Malcolm X to set up an organization for Afro-American Unity, which disbanded next year after his assassination.

Maya Angelou 7 Autobiographies

Maya Angelou Autobiography is all about her real life. She wrote seven books on her life. Maya Angelou autobiography left an impact on many people and also became a reason for her fame.

• 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'

With the pressure of Angelou’s friend and fellow writer James Baldwin, she wrote her life experience about her childhood and young adult years. She published this work in 1969 and she became the first African American woman nonfiction bestseller. And the book is named for her popular biographical work.

• ‘Gather Together in My Name’

In 1974, Angelou wrote an autobiography. She covered the challenges she faced as a single mother and how she slides down the social ladder into poverty and crime.

• 'Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas'

In 1976, Angelou wrote an autobiography, which was about her early career as a singer and actress. 

• ‘The Heart of a Woman’ 

In 1981, Angelou wrote his fourth autobiography. Here, she explained the art of motherhood, how she raised her son, and how her son completed college. In this book, Angelou also talked about her newfound independence and freedom.

• 'All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes’

In 1986, she wrote an autobiographical book, which covered lyrical exploration about what it means to be an African American in Africa and how Angelou spent her life in Ghana.

• 'A Song Flung Up to Heaven’

In 2002, she made another autobiographical work. This book shows Maya Angelou’s short biography. Here, she covered everything after her return from Africa to the U.S. and the struggles faced by her to cope with the devastating assassinations of two human rights leaders namely Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.   

• Mom & Me & Mom

In 2013, Angelou wrote her seventh and final Autobiography. In this book, she wrote about her relationship with her mom Vivian Baxter. She also said how she raised up son and "what are possibly the final blanks in Angelou's eventful life".

Personal Life of Angelou 

As per Maya Angelou Biography, she falls in love with a guy during her school day. And she became pregnant at the age of 16 years. And she gave birth to a son. Even after giving birth, she worked in a number of jobs to support herself and her child. She named his son Johnson. In 1952, Angelou married Anastasios Angelopulos, who worked as a Greek sailor. She also took her professional name from and a combination of her childhood nickname as Maya. Later they got divorced. She got married thrice including Paul du Feu in 1973. 

Death of Angelou

Angelou experienced severe health issues for many years and died on May 28, 2014, in her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The news of her death spread fast in a short time on social media. President of USA Barack Obama also issued a statement about Angelou by calling her "a brilliant writer, a fierce friend, and a truly phenomenal woman”. He also wrote that Angelou had the ability to remain with us as we are all god’s children. 

In May 2021, the US announced that Angelou was the first woman to be commemorated with a new series of quarters from the U.S. Mint.