Maya Angelou

Maya Jane Angelou is an important person from the past known worldwide for her accomplishments and roles in life. Maya Angleou may seem just like another name in a history book to most people. Maybe she’s just another author of a book you can’t

understand. However, she is a prevalent person in the world and to understand her writing you have to understand where she comes from.

According to Biography.com, Maya Jane Angelou experienced a tough childhood. She was born on April 4th 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Shortly after, she moved to Arkansas due to her parent’s divorce. There in Arkansas, she encountered the worst experience in her entire life.  As a 7 year old girl, Angelou was assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend. When news got out, the boyfriend was then put in jail and later killed by her suspected uncle. Due to this, Maya as a little girl thought her voice killed a man. That is when she fell mute for five years. During this period, Maya filled her days with literature. Her favorite teacher, Bertha Flowers, was a big influence during this time period. During one encounter with Mrs. Flowers, she stressed to her the need to speak poetry to understand it. After this event, Maya began to speak to her class and rose to the top of her 8th grade class.

Even after these harsh experiences, Maya grew up to be a very successful person. During World War II, she won a scholarship to

study dance at the California Labor school. Angelou then went on to appear in many off-Broadway shows and ended up winning a Tony award as well as a nomination for an Emmy award. She later in life went on to be a journalist publishing many books and poems that are still recognized throughout history. One of her most popular books was her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged

Bird Sings.  You can find many students reading this in their high school.

She also received a Grammy for her spoken word album. Throughout this all, she was also an activist for the Civil Rights Movement and even was a part of the Organization of African American Unity.

According to The Guardian, Maya Angelou passed away quietly in her home in North Carolina. She was then commemorated by many important figures in the world, one in particular was the President Bill Clinton at the time. The Clintons acknowledged how successful she was in her lifetime, as well as her impact on society. They recited her poem, ‘On the Pulse of the Morning’ and explained how America had lost a national treasure.