Maya Angelou is an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist who has been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal for her contributions to literature and civil rights. She has also been featured on the United States quarter as part of a series honoring noted women in American history. Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised by her grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. At eight, she was sexually abused, an experience she wrote about in her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Her other published autobiographical works include Gather Together in My Name (1974) and All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes (1985).
Maya Angelou was an inspirational and creative thinker. During her life, she found success as a singer, actress, African studies professor, and civil rights activist. Her poems and books earned her numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Pulitzer Prize nomination. She served as a close adviser to President Bill Clinton and the United Nations. Her numerous awards and accolades made her the first African-American woman to be featured on the quarter. Her accomplishments have inspired others throughout history and will continue to do so.
The U.S. Mint launched the “Notable Women in American History” quarter program featuring Maya Angelou in 2020. Angelou is featured on the quarter as one of the four influential women of the 20th century, celebrating her contributions to literature, civil rights, and diversity. The design of the coin honors her service with a portrait and a view of the St. Louis Gateway Arch, which are both symbolic of her life in Missouri.
Maya Angelou’s quarter is part of a series of coins celebrating notable women from the 19th and 20th centuries. Each coin design honors the life and accomplishments of a different woman and the positive impact they had on society. The other women featured in this series are inventor and physicist Frances Arnold, social justice advocate Helen Keller, and civil rights activist Rosa Parks.
The U.S. Mint has paid tribute to Maya Angelou as a creative thinker and an inspiration to many with their quarter release. This coin honors her legacy of courage, resilience, and creative spirit, and her dedication to championing civil rights and using her work to make positive change in the world. It commemorates her legacy with a symbol of her life and accomplishments in the form of a coin.
Library of Congress
During her life, Maya Angelou was bestowed with many honors included her appointment as the Reynolds professor of poetic and black studies at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. In 2011, Angelou also became one of few authors to be honored by the Library of Congress with a Living Legend award. This award includes the presentation of a bust of the writer made in her likeness and recognized Maya Angelou’s major contributions to the fields of poetry, literature, and civil rights.
In recognition of her contributions to American culture, the Library of Congress opened a collection in her name in 2003. The Maya Angelou Collection houses manuscripts and other materials from her life and archives, including her personal and family papers, photographs, audio recordings, video materials, and memorabilia. This collection is kept in the Library’s Manuscript Division, tells the story of Maya Angelou’s extraordinary life and her many accomplishments.
Maya Angelou’s legacy lives on in the Library of Congress collection and the bust is currently on display at the Library. It is another testament to Angelou’s legacy and her lasting impact on American art, literature, and culture.
Publications
Maya Angelou was one of the most prolific and influential poets of the 20th century. She has authored several books, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, her 1969 memoir which has been translated into 17 languages, and her autobiographical works Gather Together in My Name and All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes. Her works focus largely on themes of racism and identity, as well as the power of optimism, empathy and perseverance.
Angelou was also a prominent figure in the civil rights movement, writing for numerous African-American magazines, such as Freedomways and Negro Digest, during the 1950s and 1960s. In addition to her writing, Angelou was also a passionate singer and actor, starring in the plays Calypso Heat Wave and Look Away, among others. In her later years, Angelou continued to tour, speaking and performing her works. She was especially known for her recitation of her classic poem, “Phenomenal Woman.”
Maya Angelou was a prolific and passionate poet, writer, and performer, whose work has had a profound impact in American history and culture. Even after her passing in 2014, Angelou’s influence lives on through her books, her plays, and her activism.
Poetics
Maya Angelou was a master of poetics, fusing several different forms of writing into her work. She made use of repetition, metaphor, rhyme and rhythm, as well as other forms of poetics, to make her work more accessible and meaningful. Throughout her life, Angelou wrote with purpose and conveyed themes of freedom, justice, hope, and resilience. She drove home her messages with her powerful use of words, crafting her words to convey her powerful messages.
Angelou injected soul into her writing and her works embodied her voice in a way that few authors could do. She was able to awaken emotion and evoke thought with her powerful and evocative words, captivating her audiences. Her use of poetics allowed her to share her insights and perspectives, spreading messages of positivity and hope to her readers.
Maya Angelou’s poetics made her a powerful voice for the voiceless and a role model for later generations of artists. Her skillful writing helped forge a path for others to follow and has been an enduring inspiration to those since then.
Legacy
Maya Angelou was more than an American writer and poet, she was an activist, a storyteller and a teacher. Through her work, she was able to inspire and empower others and bring awareness to issues of human rights, peace and justice. Her words have touched and inspired millions throughout her lifetime and beyond.
Angelou has left a lasting legacy with her open and raw writings, which challenge readers to think deeper and be more open to different perspectives and experiences. Her stories serve as an anchor in the ever-changing narrative of America and her work will continue to be read and treasured for years to come.
Maya Angelou was a remarkable woman who had an immeasurable impact on the world through her words and her actions. Her courage, strength and compassion remain an enduring source of inspiration to this day.
Quotes
Throughout her life, Maya Angelou shared her wisdom and wit in her best-selling books, her plays, and her memorable speeches. Many of her famous quotes remain timeless, encapsulating her passionate, uplifting spirit. Some of Maya Angelou’s most quoted lines include:
- “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
- “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
- “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
- “Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.”
Maya Angelou’s words have touched the lives of countless individuals around the world. Her words of resilience, compassion, and courage will continue to live on and be a source of inspiration for all.
