Maya Angelou, who died in 2014 at the age of 86, had an impressive literary career. She was a poet, novelist, educator, playwright, actress, and civil rights activist. But what caused her death?
The cause of death was reportedly of natural causes, though no official source has confirmed this. Dr. Bradford Langenfeld, a physician and director of the Harlem Hospital Center, said Angelou’s death came after she had been having some health problems at the time of her passing. She had been battling heart issues and was having difficulty breathing the night before.
Angelou had been in declining health since suffering a stroke in 2005. She had to be hospitalized twice shortly before her death and had to cancel a speaking engagement at Stanford University. She also emerged from seclusion to perform readings of her iconic works, despite her failing health, in the months leading up to her death.
Angelou had overcome many physical and emotional traumas throughout her life. She survived a childhood rape, which left her temporarily mute, worked as California’s first female streetcar conductor, and performed in clubs throughout the 1950s and ‘60s. She was also a friend and confidante of numerous civil rights leaders.
In the years leading up to her death, Angelou remained an iconic advocate for social justice and human rights. She was an influential figure to many, an individual whose grace, talent, and strength left a lasting impression on the world. Today, her works and legacy are celebrated around the world.
Angelou’s Early Life
Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4, 1928. Her parents divorced when she was three, and she moved with her mother and brother to Stamps, Arkansas. After the family returned to St. Louis, Maya experienced a traumatizing rape at the age of eight. The horrific experience left her mute for almost five years.
This childhood trauma prompted Angelou to turn to books for companionship and solace. She was an avid reader who found her salvation in the world of literature. By the age of 13, she had earned a scholarship to Clark Atlanta University and moved to California shortly after.
Striving to make a living, Angelou worked a variety of jobs from being a waitress to becoming California’s first black female cable car conductor. During this time, she performed in nightclubs in the early days of jazz and blues, eventually finding herself in New York’s thriving Harlem Renaissance-era arts and entertainment scene.
It was in New York that Angelou was introduced to theatre and dancing. She caught the eye of every big name in showbiz, from Billie Holiday and Miles Davis to James Baldwin and Marlon Brando. But the start of the civil rights movement shifted her attention away from her Broadway dreams.
Angelou began working alongside civil rights activists in Cairo, Ghana, then later in New York, where she participated in voter registration drives in the South as part of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. It was through her tireless efforts that Angelou was able to foster a deep understanding of the discrimination experienced by African Americans.
Angelou’s Career and Literary Accomplishments
After the civil rights movement, Maya Angelou found her niche in the literary world. After a successful debut album, and a best-selling autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou quickly became a literary titan. She wrote numerous books, including several memoirs and collections of essays.
Angelou’s texts provide an insightful and deeply moving look into the African American experience, not just during the civil rights movement, but throughout history. She was a masterful storyteller, and her engaging narratives captivate and draw readers into her world.
She was also an influential and powerful speaker and a renowned poet. She was awarded numerous honors and awards during her career, such as the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was a recipient of NAACP’s Spingarn Medal and a Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.
Angelou wrote numerous volumes of poetry, and was a master of the spoken word. She was internationally renowned for her eloquent and stirring speeches, and she constantly performed readings of her work around the world. She was also an active participant in the civil rights movement.
Angelou’s work was critically acclaimed and she garnered international attention. She has been paid tribute to by countless celebrities, including her close friend Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Rosa Parks, and others.
Angelou’s Relationship with Oprah
Angelou was a close friend and confidant to Oprah Winfrey, who had Angelou call her on her Friendship Anniversary every year. Angelou was a mentor, teacher, and spiritual advisor to Oprah, and she often appeared on Oprah’s show to speak about social justice and civil rights.
Angelou also wrote a weekly column for O Magazine, which was focused on the issues of racism and social justice. She used her platform to educate and empower her readers, using her own experiences to provide insight into the challenges of being a minority in America. Angelou was a strong advocate for equal rights, and she encouraged people of all backgrounds to work together to break down systemic racism.
Angelou worked closely with Oprah to help bring equality to the entertainment industry. She used her platform to speak out against the growing prevalence of racism, sexism, ageism, and other forms of discrimination in the industry, often expressing her views in her talks and writings.
Maya Angelou was an influential friend and mentor to Oprah Winfrey, a beacon of hope and justice who inspired Oprah to create meaningful change. She was also a role model, mentor, and friend to countless people around the world and her legacy will live on long after her death.
Angelou’s Legacy
Maya Angelou’s legacy will remain forever in her written words and in the many speeches she gave. She inspired millions of people to pursue their dreams and to fight for what is right. Her poems focused on topics such as race, equality, and self-esteem, and her bestselling books have helped many find solace in her words.
Angelou is remembered by many for her strong spirit, positive outlook, and unwavering dedication to justice and understanding. Her legacy was generated by her willingness to speak her mind and her readiness to confront hard truths, particularly those that affected African Americans. She was unafraid to share her powerful stories of oppression and resilience.
Maya Angelou’s death was a profound loss to scholarship, contemporary literature, and the fight for social justice. Her works and words provided a powerful source of strength and courage to people of all races and backgrounds, and will undoubtedly continue to do so for years to come.
Angelou’s Powerful Works of Art
As a creative artist, Maya Angelou could draw upon her own life experiences to build profound works of art. Her books, plays, and poems were chock full of ideas and observations that reach into the depths of the human experience. They resonate with audiences of all backgrounds and experiences.
Angelou was skilled at drawing a range of emotions from her readers, from pain and sorrow to love and joy. Her words carry immense power, capable of eliciting a range of feelings from readers that are both raw and profound. Angelou’s wordsmithing was the product of her unique life experiences, her rigorous education, and her passion for social justice.
Angelou’s work touched on themes of identity and spirituality, as well as sensitive topics such as African-American history and the Civil Rights movement. Her voice provided a powerful reminder to the world that individuals can make a difference. Angelou’s work aims to speak to the experiences of marginalized communities, while simultaneously promoting dialogue and understanding between different cultures and individuals.
Angelou wrote in her classic autobiographical work I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: “With invincible determination, Queen Africa strode the ravaged land and called for the children of her sorrow to rise up and march on. For the battle had just begun!” In her writings, Angelou challenged all to wage the battle of justice and understanding.
Angelou’s Impact on the World
Maya Angelou’s impact on the world was immense and far reaching. She used her voice and platform to advocate for civil rights, diversity, and inclusivity. She was unafraid to speak her mind on inequality and injustice, and she was a powerful figure in the fight for social justice and civil rights for African Americans.
Angelou had an inspiring and uplifting presence in her identity, her works, and her mission. She touched the hearts and minds of countless people and left a powerful legacy of positive change across the world. Through her brave activism, she challenged a wide range of issues ranging from race to gender, poverty to civil rights.
Today, Angelou’s legacy continues to live on and impacts millions of people all over the world. Her passion for social justice, her love for humanity, and her understanding of the struggles faced by African Americans live on in her written works and in the minds of those she helped shape. She remains an inspiration, a beacon of hope, and a reminder to never give up.
