Maya Angelou Biography - 951 Words

Maya Angelou Biography Maya Angelou is an amazing American author, poet, entertainer, actress, playwright, producer and director, historian and civil rights activist. She is best known for her portrayals of strong African American women. Born April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Maya Angelous given name was Marguerite Johnson, Maya and her brother Bailey spent most of their childhood living with their grandmother in rural Arkansas. Maya grew up in Stamps and learned what it was like to be a black girl in a world whose boundaries were set by whites. After five years of living with her grandmother she moved back to her mothers home in Missouri. This was a bad turn for her, when her mothers boyfriend raped her. This violent act†¦show more content†¦She tells us her thoughts on a wide variety of subjects. From this book I read a short story called Aging, Maya talked about growing old and not being able to see her son reach puberty. She also talked about her body changing, her eating habits changing and just becoming old and reaching her deathbed. Maya also has a movie based on her first novel I Know Why The Caged Birds Sing. This is about a young black girl growing in stamps, Arkansas during the depression. Her efforts to better herself run up the stonewall of racism; in addition, she is traumatized into silence due to a brutal rape by her mothers boyfriend. Slowly and with the loving support of her mother, Maya overcomes her many deprivations and by the time she is a high school senior, she is her class valedictorian. Today, she lectures in the United States and overseas. She is also a Reynolds professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Through her writing as well as her activism toward the cause of improving conditions for women in Third World countries (particularly Africa), Angelou continues to spread light on the possibilities for victory that can accompany seeming defeat. In a 1987 interview, she urged her students to read, especially African-American literature, saying that it reinforces to us that what has come before us has survived and produced. Maya stressed to her students that this knowing lifts the spirit, and finished byShow MoreRelatedA Brief Biography of Maya Angelou746 Words   |  3 PagesMaya Angelou born April 4, 1928 is an American author and poet. She was born with the name Marguerite Ann Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents were Bailey Johnson, doorman and a navy dietitian and Vivian Johnson, a nurse and card dealer. When Angleous old er brother, Bailey Jr. was four and Angelou was 3 years old their mother and fathers marriage ended and the children were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. Even though it was during the Great Depression and WorldRead MoreEssay on The Interpretation of None the Other, Maya Angelou1508 Words   |  7 Pagesworld holds. Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. Hailed as a global renaissance woman, Dr. Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. As a strong African-American woman, she has experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, yet also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture. Dr. Maya Angelou’s notoriousRead MoreLiterary And Non Literary Works1721 Words   |  7 PagesTruth By: Maya Angelou Music Keep Holding On By: Avril Lavigne, 2007 Film Patch Adams, 1998 The Brave and Startling Truth This poem was written by Maya Angelou in 1995 Summary In this poem that paints a picture of how it can be when the fight is over. When we lower our weapons and stop reaching for them and look at the outcome of the fight. This poem is telling us to stop looking at war but to look at the peace that we can have and brings us hope. Maya Angelou Maya Angelou wrote bookRead MoreMaya Angelous Still I Rise904 Words   |  4 Pagesseminar paper will look at a poem written by Maya Angelou, Still I rise, 1978. An analysis of this poem will be provided, exploring the meaning of the poem and the language used to present a certain image to the audience. â€Å"Dr. Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, but she also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture†(www.mayaangelou.com, 2014). This poem is Maya Angelou speaking to the audience as she explains theRead MoreMaya Angelou: Speak Up Essay example1127 Words   |  5 PagesMaya Angelou experienced a life-changing event at the vulnerable age of eight: her mother’s boyfriend raped her. As a result, she chose to be mute for five years due to the emotional trauma this caused. Soon, a family friend named Mrs. Flowers, a wealthy and intellectual woman from Stamps, Arkansas where her grandmother resided, read with Angelou and helped Maya to express herself through writing. Mrs. Flowers taught Maya â€Å"words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voiceRead MoreEssay about Girl/Woman Work Socio-Historical Critique1439 Words   |  6 Pagesinteresting life may produce interesting poetry or stories. Two phenomenal women, Maya Angelou and Jamaica Kincaid portray two different points of view in their works of literature. A lot of things can contribute to their differences, but in particul arly their upbringing is a major cause of their variances. In Jamaica Kincaid’s â€Å"Girl,† a young girl has the â€Å"rules of the world† drilled into her head by her scolding mother while in Maya Angelou’s â€Å"Woman Work† a mother faces the adversities of her life on herRead MoreI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Essay1097 Words   |  5 Pages Maya Angelou was considered numerus things during her life she was an author, poet, actor, director, singer, dancer, writer and civil rights activist. She was considered one of the most renowned and influential voices of current views. She is one of the few recognisable civil rights activist working right beside Martin Luther Jr and many other leaders including presidents. Working in the Reagan and Bush ad ministry. She wrought a best-selling auto biography â€Å"I know why the caged bird sings†. Trough-outRead MoreAnalysis Of On The Pulse Of Morning Essay1990 Words   |  8 PagesIn â€Å"On the Pulse of Morning†, Angelou uses visual imagery and symbolism to argue that people must learn from the past to eliminate racial injustice in society today. The vivid descriptions found in the poem evoke feelings of injustice through the emotionally painful pictures that they paint. Americans as a whole are described in the poem to have â€Å"crouched too long in / The bruisi ng darkness, [...] / Face down in ignorance† (â€Å"On the Pulse of Morning† 15-18). The speaker of the poem insinuates thatRead MoreEssay on Maya Angelou1185 Words   |  5 PagesDistress in Maya Angelous Life Marguerite Ann Johnson, commonly known as Maya Angelou, was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. She is a famous African-American poet, novelist, and playwright and also worked during the civil rights: Angelou is a very remarkable Renaissance woman who hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature (www.mayaangelou.com). She is also an activist in civil-rights. Angelou went through many controversies during her childhood and adulthood; herRead MoreThe Life and Accomplishments of Maya Angelou Essay example1738 Words   |  7 PagesThe Life and Accomplishments of Maya Angelou Maya Angelou has inspired me in more ways than one, and I had to write about her. When Maya speaks people listen. She has this wisdom that only few have, especially when life wasn’t always great. She turned tragedy into triumph, and helped others in doing so. So, Maya has proven too many women, especially black women that you succeed, even if you have had a child in your teen years. She’s proof that with determination nothing is unattainable. I chose