Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned authors and poets of our time, and her impressive resume is as varied as it is impressive. But what do we know about her parents? What are Maya Angelou’s parents’ names?
Maya Angelou’s father was Bailey Johnson. He was born on the 20th of October, 1895 in Arkansas. Johnson worked as a vaudevillian and was musically talented, playing the piano and even phonographic discs. He was also an ordained minister with the Church of God.
Maya Angelou’s mother, Vivian Johnson, was born July 28th, 1906 in North Carolina. She had a brief stint as a real estate agent in St. Louis and also worked in the insurance business. Johnson was also a talented singer, performing solos in church choirs and plays.
Sadly, Johnson and Angelou’s parents divorced when Maya was only three. As a result of this, Maya and her older brother were shuttled between her parents’ houses, ending up primarily with Vivian Baxter. Baxter, who was fiercely devoted to her children, was a positive force for Maya during some of the most difficult times in her life.
Maya Angelou’s parents instilled in her a strong work ethic, encouraging her to pursue whatever she wanted to do, no matter how difficult it was.
Ultimately, it was Maya Angelou’s parents’ names – Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter – that set the foundation for Maya’s success. The values of hard work, perseverance and dedication are evident in all aspects of Maya Angelou’s life, from her writing to her activism and her humanitarian efforts.
Maya’s parents were the foundation of who she was and the values they taught her would form the bedrock of her success.
The influence of their heritage on Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou’s parents provided her with a unique heritage that was influential throughout her life. Her father, Bailey Johnson, brought to the table his African American roots. His parents had moved to Arkansas in the late 1800s and Johnson’s own career in vaudeville gave Maya Angelou a strong sense of the African American culture.
Then there was Maya Angelou’s mother, Vivian Baxter, who was of a Creole and Chicano heritage. Through Baxter, Maya Angelou learned about the rich cultural diversity in North America and drew upon it for inspiration in her writing.
From her parents, Maya Angelou also gained a strong sense of her racial heritage and a strong commitment to civil rights, as noted in her book “The Heart of a Woman”, a tribute to her parents.
The cultural influences of Maya Angelou’s parents were evident in her writing and her activism, even long after they had passed away.
Throughout her life, Maya Angelou’s parents remained important figures in her life, and their influence was felt through her commitment to writing and her dedication to civil rights.
Maya Angelou’s father’s role in her life
Baily Johnson, Maya Angelou’s father, played an integral role in her early life. The eldest of twelve children born to his parents, he was born in 1895 in Arkansas. He worked as a vaudevillian and phonographic disc player, going on tour and performing in the African American theatre tradition. He was also a minister of the Church of God.
Johnson was not without his own troubles; he was an alcoholic who divorced Angelou’s mother Vivian and drifted in and out of Maya’s life. However, despite this, Johnson remained a powerful influence, instilling in Maya a passionate love of music and performance, as well as a strong moral code of conduct.
When Maya’s mother remarried and moved to Arkansas, she and Johnson renewed their relationship and Johnson often visited her there. Maya Angelou was known to have an intense relationship with her father and his influence stayed with her throughout her life.
In her poem “My Father”, Angelou reflects on the powerful relationship she had with Johnson, writing “I lived within his laughter and his love”, describing her father as “a loveable man, who hardly ever failed.”
Although he was not a consistent presence in her life, Johnson remains a powerful influence in Maya Angelou’s life and works.
The strength and example set by Maya Angelou’s mother
An equallyimportant figure in Maya Angelou’s life was Vivian Baxter, her mother. Baxter wasdedicated to her family and was fiercely protective of her two children. In themidst of the upheaval of the Great Depression, Baxter worked as a real estateagent in St. Louis and also continued to work in the insurance business.
Time and again throughout her life, Maya Angeloureflects on the strength Baxter displayed during the difficult times of the GreatDepression, a time in which many families had to struggle and sacrifice in orderto survive. Baxter displayed a no-nonsense work ethic, and hers was an examplethat her daughter followed for her own life.
Even after the divorce of her parents, Baxter remained an aspiration figure for Maya Angelou toespouse and one could argue that Baxter was the psychological bedrock whichMaya drew upon during her life. Baxter taught her children to be proud ofthemselves, to always stand up for what they believed in and to reach for thestars, no matter how difficult it may seem.
Throughout her life, Maya Angelou’s motherremained a powerful force that shaped Maya’s life and works. She was a stalwartexample for her children to follow, and she remained a loveable presence in theirlives until the day she passed away.
The lasting impact of Maya Angelou’s parents
Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter may have been separate figures but their combined impact on Maya Angelou’s life is undeniable. Her parents instilled in her an unshakable dedication to her craft and a deeply rooted faith in her own talents.
Maya Angelou’s parents were her greatest assets in acheiving the extraordinary successes she accomplished in her life. From launching her acting career in Calypso, to becoming the first African American and first woman writer to join the Harlem Writer’s Guild, Maya Angelou’s parents provided her with the strength, courage, and confidence she needed to pursue her dreams.
It is impossible to tell what Maya Angelou’s life would have been like had she not had these two remarkable people in her life that helped to shape her into the greatest literary figure of our time.
The responsibility that Maya Angelou took from her parents
The legacy of Maya Angelou’s parents continues to this day, and Angelou herself makes sure of that. Angelou opened the Bailey Johnson Jr. Foundation in the early 1990s, a non-profit organization that works to cultivate the education, creativity and self-respect among African American youth.
Maya Angelou herself said of the foundation, “It is my hope that through this foundation other young people can be helped to develop spiritually, intellectually and artistically while they also learn to appreciate and enjoy their own unique cultures and celebrate the differences among them.”
This is an admirable mission, and one that Maya Angelou has taken on to ensure that her parents’ legacy is remembered and honored. It is an inspiring example of how those who have been given the opportunity to pursue their dreams can help others to do the same.
The philosophy of being part of something bigger than oneself
Ultimately, what drives Maya Angelou’s accomplishments are her parents’ timeless messages of self-respect, hard work, and dedication. Although Angelou has not physically been in the presence of her parents for many years, their advice and encouragement are forever intertwined in her gifts, her successes, and her philosophy.
From her parents, Angelou derived a sense of being part of something bigger, greater, and more important than oneself. This could be seen in her activism for civil rights and her tireless humanitarian efforts. It is these values that drive Maya Angelou to be the remarkable figure we see today.
