Maya+Angelou

Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, is an American icon. She is expert, skilled, and proficient in diverse fields, from creating literature, to performing in theater, and to influencing the Civil Rights Movement. Maya Angelou experienced overwhelming struggles such as poverty, racism, and abuse. This courageous woman overcame these unbearable difficulties to become the strong, independent, and brave woman she is today. Maya Angelou and the citizens of Stamps, Arkansas all shared two common problems: poverty and racism. Growing up as a child, Maya lived a very rough life. When she was first born, her mother, Vivian Baxter Johnson, could not support her and her brother so she thought it would be best for them to live with her husband’s mother. Under the grandmother’s roof, rules were very strict, and Maya was forced to live in complete discipline. In Stamps, Maya spent her bored and uninteresting days writing and expressing her thoughts in poems, books, and even letters. Then without warning, the children’s father came to Stamps and delivered the children back to St. Louis to live with their mother. At this point, Vivian Baxter Johnston was divorced from her children’s father and now much more capable to raise her children. At age 8, Maya was sexually abused and raped; she confided in her brother who then let the family in on the shocking secret. After this devastating event, the young Maya Angelou went mute for a total of five years. Maya and her brother were then once again sent to Stamps to live with their grandmother. A fellow friend and teacher, Bertha Flowers, helped Maya speak again and introduced her to classical literature and many famous authors. Some of these authors included Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, James Weldon Johnson, and Anne Spencer. At age 13, Maya and her brother moved back to California to live with their mother once again. Maya attended schooling at George Washington High School. Then she studied dance and drama on a scholarship at California Labor School. Before she finished school, she became the first black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco. After Maya graduated college, she gave birth to her first and only son, Clyde. Her pride and joy, Clyde also grew up to be a poet, inspired by his mother. Maya Angelou is an extremely accomplished woman; throughout her life she experienced intense situations and succeeded in many life goals. She has made great success as an African American female poet, author, playwright, and even mother. Some of Maya Angelou’s major works include: //I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings//, //On the Pulse of Morning, and Still I Rise//. The first of the five chronicles of Maya’s life started with her novel, //I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings//. This novel is filled with events from the first 16 years of her life. She writes about her parent’s divorce, her life in Stamps, the poverty and racism she and her brother had to live through. For example, in her novel, she describes herself as excelling academically and looking forward to a challenging life ahead. A white man came into their school on graduation day to say a few inspiring words. The man ended up preaching the opposite; he told the students they were prohibited to jobs that would challenge the intellect; those jobs were reserved for the whites only. This was one of Maya’s first exposures to racism. Instead of an excited, fun-filled graduation, Maya had her dreams crushed. Secondly, //On the Pulse of Morning// was finished on January 20, 1993. This poem is well known because Maya Angelou read this to the crowd at Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration. After her powerful voice read the meaningful words, this poem soon became a bestseller. She addressed the nation on how America should prepare for the future. Maya spoke her words of wisdom saying, “ a haven where it’s easier to ignore actions than take the responsibility and burden that comes with knowledge”(//On the Pulse of Morning// ). Maya Angelou became instantly famous. Lastly, another one of Maya’s famous poems is //Still I Rise//, which was written in 1978. This piece of poetry celebrates victory in tragedy and the strength and courage of the human pride. These three literary poems are only a couple of Angelou’s most inspiring works. Maya Angelou influenced many different people in many different ways. For example, she has impacted numerous African American women. Her words inspire them to be the true people they are. Growing up in a rural neighborhood, Maya was exposed to extreme poverty and racism. Luckily for her, these difficult times were used to Maya’s advantage. She was able to apply her feelings, thoughts, and troubles on paper for the world to relate too. It is safe to say, Maya Angelou definitely influenced any single person who has read her pieces of literature. She has also impacted many African Americans by being a Civil Rights speaker. She served as a coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She expressed her opinions about the war to help people get through the tough time. She encouraged African Americans to be proud of who they are. Maya Angelou is an intriguing woman how has motivated, influenced, and impacted a vast number of people especially, African American women. Clearly, Maya Angelou, mother, poet, author, Civil Rights activist, and actress, is an American icon. She is a woman who overcame difficult struggles. She used these hard times to become the best person she could. As a result, Maya Angelou was able to become a powerful person. She has influenced many African American women but also many white people who realized and became aware of racism and the effects of poverty after reading her literature. From the small, poor, and segregated town in Stamps, Arkansas, Maya Angelou moved to the national scene to become an inspiration to the entire country.

Some of Maya Angelou's most famous works were: __I Know Why the Caged Birds SIng__ __On the Pulse of Morning__ __Still I Rise__ __Touched by an Angel__ __Men__ __Alone__