ipl-logo

Maya Angelou's Life

1513 Words7 Pages

“Nothing will work unless you do” (Maya Angelou). That’s exactly what she did having titles such as civil rights activist, poet, memoirist, actress, and screenwriter. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and has plays, movies, and television shows. Maya Angelou received several awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. She is also known for her famous poem I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, expressing her feelings about her early life. She had a hard life and overcame her struggle and became a very influential person to so many people including me. Maya Angelou born Marguerite Annie Johnson born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents are Bailey Johnson, a doorman and navy dietitian, …show more content…

During this she worried about her sexuality, she thought she was a lesbian. To find out she asked a popular neighborhood boy to have sex with her. Three weeks later she found out she was pregnant. She hid it from her parents and later wrote them a note saying she was pregnant. They accepted it and embraced the baby boy as their own. Maya decided to get a job and support her son by herself. “I had no understanding about anything...But I had the determination to raise my child” (Cox 24). After various jobs at restaurants she decided to start dancing and performed at nightclubs. After working in Hawaiian night clubs she and her son who changed his name to Guy moved to Sausalito California. In 1959 Maya wrote song lyrics, sketches, and short stories. John Killens, and author, told her she had talent and to come to New York. “You need to be in the Harlem Writers Guild” (Cox 45). She attended the Harlem Writers Guild with a group of African American writers to critique one another’s work. Paule Marshall, another writer, encouraged her to revise her play. She decided to not rewrite the play. She couldn’t resist the challenge of doing the impossible which influenced her hard work in …show more content…

Her hard life started when she was only 3 not even knowing what was really going on. She got raped by her mother’s boyfriend later on in life and didn’t talk for a while because she was afraid her words made bad things happen to people. When she was 16 she got pregnant with her son Guy, and told herself she would work hard to take care of her son. From then on she had many jobs including working at restaurants, a dancer, a writer, and an activist. Eventually after working at many different jobs she did something she loved to do. She had a stage career for a while and started touring around the world. Maya’s screenplay for the 1972 film Georgia, Georgia was one of the first by an African American woman ever to be

Show More
Related

  • Jackie Robinson: Major League Baseball

    304 Words  | 2 Pages

    Maya Angelou Maya Angelou was born on April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis

    Read More

  • Maya Angelou Accomplishments

    1233 Words  | 5 Pages

    On April 4th of 1928 Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri. She was given the name “Maya” by her brother, Bailey. Both Maya and Bailey were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas after her parents divorced. When Maya went to visit her mother at the age of eight she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend.

    Read More

  • S. E. Hinton Character Analysis

    525 Words  | 3 Pages

    Character: S.E. Hinton (through Ponyboy) Chronological/Timeline Hook: "Sixteen years on the streets and you can learn a lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to learn." Background info (birthplace, birthdate, any relevant childhood info., relevant relationship info., etc.):

    Read More

  • Brief Analysis Of Joy Harjo's Amazing Life

    950 Words  | 4 Pages

    Joy Harjo’s Amazing Life Joy Harjo didn’t grow up thinking she would write poetry for a living, but t she definitely makes a good writer. Her home life and her ancestry shaped the way she saw the world. It also transformed the way she wrote. All of her many works have revolved around her experiences in life.

    Read More

  • Why Maya Angelou Is Important In American History

    466 Words  | 2 Pages

    Maya Angelou was not always called by that name, she was originally named Marguerite Johnson. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4th, 1928. Mrs. Angelou was a poet, educator, actress, producer, historian, and a civil rights activist. Maya Angelou is significant in American history because she always fought for women’s rights, her songs always meant something, and people looked up to what she stood for.

    Read More

  • Biography Of Maya Angelou Research Paper

    1092 Words  | 5 Pages

    Maya Angelou was born on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri and her first name being Marguerite Annie Johnson. Marguerite was the daughter of Bailey Johnson, a doorman and navy dietitian, and Vivian Johnson, a nurse and card dealer. At the age of three, she and her brother (who was four) were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas by train alone. At the age of 8 and after an incident involving Marguerite, her mother, and her mother’s boyfriend, Marguerite met Mrs. Bertha Flowers. Mrs. Flowers was Marguerite’s teacher who introduced her to authors and black female artists that would affect her life and career.

    Read More

  • A Piece Of Cake Analysis

    549 Words  | 3 Pages

    At her nest foster home her foster father,used her for oral sex in trade for LSD and cocaine. After this incident she moved in with her great aunt in Los Angeles. During her stay she joined a gang at the age of 12. She almost died when he was shot in the back at the age of 16. After that she made the decision to leave the gang.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Adversity In The Works Of Maya Angelou

    449 Words  | 2 Pages

    Maya Angelou, a famous poet and activist, was able to face and conquer a part of her life that was greatly affected. Her mother had left Maya and her brother when they were young with their grandmother. As years went forward she reconnected with her mother and dealt with a whirlwind of emotions. The strength she withheld to forgive and to love her mother was priceless. She never gave up on the warmth or the liberation to life because she knew this person was someone she needed in order to truly prosper and grow.

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Maya Angelou

    1060 Words  | 5 Pages

    Maya’s mom started dating this man that Maya called Mr. Freeman. Mr. Freeman raped Angelou at the age of eight, Maya became mute and never wanted to converse with others. Maya Angelou’s childhood was marked by a traumatic incident of sexual assault. This experience had a profound and lasting impact on her life, and she became mute for several years afterward, believing that her voice had caused the assault. Angelou later wrote about this experience, which helped to break the silence around sexual violence and inspired many survivors to speak out about their own experiences.

    Read More

  • How Did Maya Angelou Impact Society

    1207 Words  | 5 Pages

    As she gained more attention and recognition for the work that she has done, Maya still chose to fight for equality and better futures for many young black men and women. One of many ways that Angelou highlighted her activism was by such events like the American film Association which is a nonprofit celebration excellence that portrays creative education. Where she released ‘’ Still I rise’’ one of her many stories speaking on her overcoming her trauma years of being on mute. In addition to her activism and her accomplishment’s, Maya also appeared in many films such as one of

    Read More

  • Maya Angelou Obstacles

    740 Words  | 3 Pages

    III. a. Maya Angelou was an avid writer, speaker, activist and teacher. As a result of the many hardships that she suffered while growing up as a poor black woman in the south she has used her own experiences as the subject matter of her written work. In doing this she effectively shows how she was able to overcome her personal obstacles. Her autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970) tells the story of her life and how she overcame and moved forward triumphantly in spite of her circumstances.

    Read More

  • Positive Role Models In Maya Angelou's Life

    485 Words  | 2 Pages

    Positive role models in Maya Angelou’s life In the book “I know why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya faces many unfortunate situations. While growing up she did not have a true role model until she and Bailey were sent to go live with Momma their grandmother. Throughout Maya’s life she meets many wonderful role models including Momma (grandmother), Vivian (mother), Bertha Flowers (friend).

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Angelou And Paul Laurence Dunbar

    535 Words  | 3 Pages

    His poem Sympathy is just one example of how he felt trapped like a caged bird in his life. Even though the Civil War was over, African Americans still did not have as many privileges and opportunities as most White people had. Most of Dunbar’s writing showed his perspective of life and the struggles that came with it. Maya Angelou was born in 1928 and suffered a hard childhood that later on affected her writing. When she was eight years old, Maya was sexually abused and raped by her mother’s boyfriend.

    Read More

  • Maya Angelou's Contribution To The Civil Rights Movement

    1975 Words  | 8 Pages

    Maya Angelou worked as a professor at Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, from 1991 to 2014. As an African American women, one whose life was full of racial discrimination and gender inequality, she had plenty of experience and wisdom to share with her students. During her time working at the university, she taught a variety of humanities courses such as “World Poetry in Dramatic Performance,” “Race, Politics and Literature,” “African Culture and Impact on U.S.,” and “Race in the Southern Experience” (Wake Forest University,

    Read More

  • Maya Angelou Research Paper

    624 Words  | 3 Pages

    Maya Angelou “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible”, said Maya Angelou. Marguerite Johnson, better known as Maya Angelou, was born in St. Louis Missouri on April 4, 1928. She had a broad array of careers, such as a historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, director, performer, and civil rights activist. However, she has gained the most acclamation as a writer, editor, essayist, and poet. Maya Angelou was able to work alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. Not only did Maya Angelou stand as a spokesperson for African Americans and women, but she also stood for people who wanted to raise the living standards in the United States.

    Read More

More about Maya Angelou's Life

Open Document