Maya Angelou was an iconic figure in American literature and considered by many to be one of the most important creators of the post-war era. An African-American writer, performer, and civil rights activist, her work touched generations of readers and audiences throughout her life. Here are some of the key facts that help capture the legacy and impact of Maya Angelou.
Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1928 and raised by her grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. Following her rape at the age of eight, she dropped out of conventional schooling and lived with her mother and stepfather in San Francisco. She eventually enrolled in and graduated from the California Labor School.
Her body of work includes notable poems, autobiographies, and other writings for which she was highly commended. Her well-known works of poetry include I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Phenomenal Woman, and Still I Rise. As a published author, she wrote seven autobiographies, three books of essays, multiple books of poetry, and collaborated on an appearance in a cookbook.
Maya Angelou was also an accomplished actress and performer, including roles in the film Georgia, Georgia, in 1972 and the British television miniseries Roots, the following year. She received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including one from Smith College and the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — from President Bill Clinton in 2011.
In her work as a civil rights activist, Maya Angelou went on multiple tours and gave lectures to promote human rights and understanding between different people and cultures. She also joined Coretta Scott King and Dr. Benjamin Spock in protests against the Vietnam War, and wrote a song that became the anthem of the civil rights movement.
Maya Angelou also held several important positions, including professor of American studies at Wake Forest University and Reynolds professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, she was a mentor to many, including Oprah Winfrey and actor Alfre Woodard. She passed away in 2014 at the age of 86.
Early Years
Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents were unmarried when she was born and her father, Bailey Johnson, was from Arkansas. Her mom was a nurse from Kentucky. When Maya was three years old, her father moved to California and sent for his daughter and her brother a few years later. She and her brother had to transfer between numerous schools during the Great Depression before eventually living with her grandmother, Annie Henderson, in the African American town of Stamps, Arkansas.
Maya Angelou attended the Stamps school beginning 1943, and graduated from high school in 1940. After her graduation, she returned to St. Louis, clinging on to her dream of becoming a performer. She also loved writing. After she was raped at age eight, she stopped speaking for almost five years and wrote only in secret.
Maya son, Guy Johnson, was born in 1950. A year later, she authorized her friend, James Baldwin, to publish her first poem, The Unbelieving, which appeared in the Last Angel. This poem is a cornerstone of her prolific career and she continued to write and publish her work.
Writing Career
Being an author was a passion that Maya Angelou developed early on. She began writing plays, screenplays, and poetry as well as her first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, at the age of 32. Her book was published in 1969, marking the beginning of her success as a writer. It became an American classic and has remained on the bestseller’s list for the past 25 years.
That same year, she was the first African American woman to be awarded the D. H. Lawrence Fellowship bestowed by the University of New Mexico. Subsequently, her work continued to rise and her poems, Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise, earned her widespread fame. Phenomenal Woman has been so widely shared that it is hard to find someone that has not heard it.
Maya wrote seven autobiographies in total, as well as a cookbook, collections of essays and plays, and several books of poetry. Her works have been translated into more than 20 languages, and her writing has been critically and commercially successful.
Activism
Maya Angelou was an anti-racist and anti-war activist, having joined Coretta Scott King and Dr. Benjamin Spock in 1970 to protest the Vietnam War in Capitol Hill’s Rally for Peace. During the 1960s, civil rights were a key issue in American politics and Maya was an active participant in the civil rights movement and shared the stage with Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. She wrote the songCaged Bird, which became the anthem of the civil rights movement.
Maya was also a powerful advocate for human rights believing that people of all cultures, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds should be treated with respect and compassion.
Maya Angelou also used her public status to call attention to various injustices and to promote literacy and understanding.She traveled the world lecturing and advocating for justice, and also worked to build relationships between different peoples and cultures.
Recognition
Maya Angelou received numerous awards and honors during her lifetime, including over 30 honorary degrees. In 2010, she was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Book Foundation, and the following year she received the award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Her works were widely praised by the public and she is remembered as one of the greatest innovators of post-war American literature.In 2000, she was memoirs chosen by the Gallup List of Most Admired Men and Women as one of the most significant figures in history.
In 2008, television publisher Mark Burnett released the documentary Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, which features interviews with well-known personalities such as Oprah Winfrey, President Bill Clinton, and Cicely Tyson.
Death
Maya Angelou passed away in her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on May 28, 2014 at the age of 86. Her death was marked by expressions of love and respect from friends, family, and former colleagues.Her fans and admirers commemorated her life by reciting her many inspiring poems and recalling the impact she had on them.
As a tribute to her legacy, on June 4, 2014, Google dedicated its homepage to her in honor of what would have been her 86th birthday. The image is of a young Maya Angelou — as a small girl, dressed in a red hat and red dress — leaning against a tree, reciting a poem.
Legacy
Maya Angelou’s legacy endures through her inspiring body of work. She was an impressive figure in American literature — and a powerful voice for both social justice and individual excellence. Her uplifting message and compassion touched generations of readers and will be remembered as a gift to us all.
