Dr. Maya Angelou
by Radiyah Shakur
Dr. Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Johnson
in St. Louis, Missouri in 1928, is one of the great
voices of
contemporary literature. She has had twelve best selling
books,
which have earned her a Pulitzer-Prize and National
Book Awards. Celebrated as one of history’s
most prolific writers for her literary style and
descriptive genius, ironically, Maya Angelou did
not always have a voice.
 Raised by her grandmother in rural Arkansas, Maya
was loved, nurtured and raised to be confident. This
all diminished when Maya moved to Chicago to live with
her mother in 1953. While there she was raped by her
mother’s boyfriend, at the age of eight. The
man who assaulted her was jailed, later released, and
a few days after found murdered. The trauma of the
experience, compounded with the guilt she felt for
the man’s death, left Angelou insecure and mute
for five years.
At age of 16, she gave birth to her son Guy. To escape
family troubles she took on various jobs such as working
as a cabaret singer in New York and San Francisco.
At one point in her life she even worked as a prostitute
and madam. However, Angelou’s life was set free
when a teacher introduced her to the world of literature.
Maya’s remarkable memory enabled her to memorize
entire collections of works from writers and poets,
such as Shakespeare and Paul Lawrence Dunbar. Like
a CD, Angelou could mentally recall a poem at any time,
and ‘’play’’ it in her head
depending upon what she fancied. By being exposed to
the literary voice of others and the discovery of hers,
Angelou was able to use writing to cope with the challenging
aspects of life and society.
One of her most famous poems, ‘’Still
I Rise’’, was written out of the poet’s
disappointment with race and politics in the United
States. It is an affirmation of determination to prevail
over any obstacles, despite numerous barriers.
Active during the Civil Rights Movement, she was requested
by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to become the Northern
coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
in 1959. In the 1960s she spent five years in Egypt
and Ghana, where she taught music and drama, and edited
English-language publications. In 1974, President Gerald
Ford appointed her to the Bicentennial Commission,
and later President Jimmy Carter chose her for the
Commission for the International Woman of the Year.
Angelou’s six-part autobiographical novels
are more than just exposés; rather they are
explorations in to her struggles, obstacles and journey
to self-discovery. “I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings" - a novel nominated for the National
Book Award, recounts growing up as a black girl in
the rural South. Her later autobiographical novels
discuss her development in to adulthood and womanhood,
which was influenced by encounters with such leaders
as Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King and
Martin Luther King, Jr.
In 1993, Maya Angelou became the second poet in history
asked to deliver an original poem at a Presidential
Inauguration, at President Bill Clinton’s request.
As the first black female director in Hollywood,
Angelou has also written, produced, directed and
starred in productions for stage, film and television.
She won the Golden Eagle Award for her PBS documentary
entitled "Afro-Americans in the Arts",
nominated twice for a Tony award for her acting roles
in "Look Away" in 1973 and "Roots" in
1977. Her novel, "Just Give Me a Cool Drink
of Water 'fore I Diiie", was nominated for a
Pulitzer Prize in 1971. More recently she has won
Grammy Awards for spoken word productions for the
years 1993, 1995 and 2002.
Angelou holds a lifetime appointment as Reynolds
professor of American Studies at Wake Forest where
she still teaches. In addition, she possesses numerous
honorary degrees; and still makes public appearances
as a guest on talk shows and continues to tour the
lecture circuit.
This link will take you to a list of all of her works:
http://www.mayaangelou.com/AngelouBooks.html
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