Maya Angelou was a renowned author, poet, singer, and civil rights advocate who left an indelible mark not just in the literary world, but across many different fields. Angelou’s life was deeply informed by her experience, including her education, which was enriched and tumultuous.
Born as Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri in 1928, Angelou attended George Washington High School in San Francisco, eventually graduating at the age of 17. A lover of the arts, she found success in music, dance, and theatre, performing on the stages of San Francisco and later New York City.
Between 1955 and 1957, Angelou attended San Francisco State University, studying dance, drama, and music. When she arrived at SFU, Angelou was a single mother, working full time and studying full time. Fueled by her determination to succeed, Angelou flourished, and in 1957, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Drama and a minor in philosophy.
After her graduation, Angelou relocated to New York, and worked as an editor for TIME-LIFE publications. Concurrently, Angelou pursued a master’s degree in library sciences, the first of its kind in the country. She was unable to complete the degree, taking time off to nurse her ailing son, Guy, back to health. Angelou never returned, yet she highly valued the knowledge and wisdom she had gained during her short stint in the program.
After leaving school living with her son in Ghana and reunion with her brother in Egypt, she returned to the US and worked as an organizer for Mau Mau organisation, where she had to disengage her education and pursue her mission of civil rights advocacy.
Upon her return to the United States in 1961, Angelou took up writing, initially as a form of therapy during her recovery from an abusive marriage. Spanning childhood memoirs, poetry, and essays, her literary works have spread her message of empowerment, tenacity, and self-discovery far and wide.
Maya Angelou’s education demonstrates the importance of tenacity, courage and determination. Her path from single motherhood to celebrated writer, civil rights advocate, and professor was not easy, but her clear insistence to fight for her goals along with her openness to embracing different cultural backgrounds, are why Angelou remains an inspiration.
Education in California
Maya Angelou’s education began when she attended George Washington High School in San Francisco, California. In spite of her mother’s disapproval of Angelou’s ambitions, she excelled in theatre, music and dance, setting the foundation for her future career. Upon graduating in her senior year at the age of 17, Angelou enrolled in San Francisco State University.
Angelou pursued a double life while attaining her degree from SFU. During this time, she was a single mother, working full time and studying full time. Her commitment and perseverance saw her graduating in 1957, with a degree in Drama and a minor in philosophy.
At SFU, Angelou was exposed to the growing civil rights movement, inspiring her to use her education further to advance the important cause of equality. Armed with insight, knowledge and awareness, Angelou learned to use her education to effect larger change and help encourage those less represented in society.
After graduating from SFU, Angelou moved to New York and worked as an editor for Time-Life Publications. It was in New York that she then pursued a master’s degree in library sciences, the first of its kind in the country. Despite regrettably having to halt her studies to look after her ailing son, Angelou valued the wisdom she had gained during her time in the program.
As a student in San Francisco and New York, Angelou was exposed to creativity and different perspectives, which would have a lasting impact on the acclaimed works she would later produce. Her studies ignited her passion for civil rights and laid the foundation for her activism in the years to come.
New Horizons in Ghana
After leaving school, Angelou relocated to Ghana with Guy, where she worked as an editor of the African Review. As her life expanded and travelled to different continents, the influence of her education was evident when she undertook a mission to support the Mau Mau insurgency, which rose to fight against British imperialism.
The mission to Ghana allowed Angelou to draw on knowledge she had learnt at SFU, where she had gained an in-depth and complex understanding of issues affecting civil rights. During her time in Ghana, she also met Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, furthering her knowledge and inspiring her to take a stance in the civil rights movement.
Today, Angelou’s education continues to remain inextricably linked with the incredible works she produced and the pivotal role she played in championing the cause of equality and justice. In Ghana, Angelou was exposed to different cultures and ideologies, further defining her character and her outlook on life.
Using her educational experience as a catalyst for change, Angelou devoted her energy and expertise to promoting civil rights all around the world. Demonstrating her unwavering commitment to the cause, her educational experience in Ghana is still remembered and celebrated today, giving us a glimpse into her track record of immense contributions to society at large.
Living in Egypt
After her work in Ghana, Angelou chose to live with her brother in Egypt. During this period, Angelou had to detach from her studies and devote her energy to those living in Egypt. Drawing on her knowledge of civil rights and understanding of the realities of life, Angelou found herself supporting others.
The virtue of care, which she had learnt from her education, was essential to her work in Egypt. As a result, Angelou featured in the Journal of Egyptian Women, where she wrote about her experiences, making a case for women’s rights and their needs.
Education has enabled Angelou to gain self-knowledge and think critically about the world around her. While in Egypt, she was able to expand her skills and knowledge, improving her sense of awareness, of others and of society.
In Egypt, Angelou was also able to take a deeply personal approach to her education. In recognising her own power of action and her ability to make an impact, she chose to focus her energies on those who were less represented in society. Throught this political action, Angelou was able to recognise the value of education and its ability to provide insight and direction.
The Writing of Angelou
Writing was both a therapeutic outlet and a political tool for Angelou. Drawing on her experiences and education, Angelou wrote powerful stories of emotion and courage, championing the use of words to create lasting change.
Her education had enabled her to recognise the power of the written word. As a writer, her education provided her with an understanding of the importance of not just using stories of others, but of using her own voice to push for change. As a result of her studies, her writing captures her journey of strength and resilience, inspiring others around the world.
Angelou’s education further equipped her with the skills and knowledge necessary for her to author her amazing works, including I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and her autobiographical works, Gather Together in My Name, and All God’s Children Need Travelling Shoes.
Writing also allowed Angelou to practice the craft of storytelling, upholding literature as a way to shape thought and communication. To this day, her books are held as timeless examples of literature and are used in schools and universities to provide poignant insight into the endless possibilities of a person’s life.
Promotion of Perspectives
By leveraging her education, Angelou was able to produce highly acclaimed works that pushed the boundaries of both literature and civil rights. Her works, especially her acclaimed autobiographies, remain immensely influential in today’s society, encouraging dialogues of equality, self-reflection, and understanding.
Angelou utilised her knowledge and education to create powerful and daring works of literature. As a result, her works were and remain unapologetically bold, allowing Angelou to use her voice with authority to push readers to think critically beyond the boundaries of what is expected of them.
Angelou was also a professor at Wake Forest University, where she taught a range of courses, including studies in the English, Gender, and African American history. Her students held her in awe, and each and every one of them remember the access to authentic knowledge and discussions that Angelou’s education enabled her to provide.
As a professor, Angelou was revered for her ability to mix storytelling and direct learning in her classes, designed to bring students closer to the realities of life. Through her career as a professor, Angelou allowed students to explore key questions and discuss perspectives, providing learners with new and alternative ways of thinking beyond their traditional studies.
A Lasting Legacy
Angelou’s educational experience demonstrates how learning can influence our attitudes and opinions. Her lifetime of learning is reflected in her numerous works, which focus importantly on themes of self-discovery, womanhood and civil rights.
As Angelou’s educational experience delivered insight and knowledge to her works, it allowed her to make an impact, beyond just her writing. An advocate for equal rights, Angelou used her platform to educate and raise awareness of previously lesser known stories, ideas and perspectives.
From her time as a student in San Francisco, to her mission to further the cause of civil rights in Africa, Angelou was inspired by a range of diverse experiences. As we recall and celebrate Angelou’s life and works, her education stands as the backbone of her success, and the guidance to her message of love, tenacity and hope.
