We all experience tragedies in our lives at some point. However, many of us let these tragedies take hold and control us. Trapping us inside with the feeling of no way to escape, but it is the people, like Maya Angelou, who can take so many of these tragedies and turn them into something greater. Not only to help herself cope with these tragedies, but as a way to inspire others along the way as well.
Marguerite Annie Johnson was an African American born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri to her two parents, Bailey and Vivian Johnson, and older brother Bailey Johnson Jr., who is a year older than Maya. At a young age Marguerite was given the nickname Maya by her brother Bailey, and that nickname has stuck ever since then. She grew up
As a result the two of them had to move across country to Stamps, Arkansas to live with their grandmother. Maya and Bailey were forced to travel to travel across the country by themselves at just three and four years old. The two of them were given two tickets to use the train to travel to Arkansas. However, it was a dangerous and risky thing they did. Kids weren’t typically allowed to travel without their parents, so if they were to get caught who knows what would happen to them. (“Maya Angelou Biography”). “Bailey had to take on the influence of a parent at that very moment. To become my protector and guardian. At such a young age this is the moment I saw him grow up.” (“The Story About Maya Angelou that you have never heard in her own words”). Maya had spent two long nights and three long days on the train. With little to no food or money. Too timid to approach any adult in fear they would be caught alone. After the three grueling days Maya and Bailey walked off the train in Stamps, Arkansas to see their grandmother there waiting for them. Maya felt a sigh of relief. Thinking that everything would finally be okay. She would once again come face to face with extraordinary torment and hardships (“Maya Angelou
She then decided to move to Ghana, Africa with her son in 1962 in pursuit of finding more information about her ancestors and heritage. However, Maya just couldn’t get a break from writing because while she was in Africa Maya became the editor for The African Review and the writer for the Ghanaian Times. She decided to write all about her experiences while in Africa which she published into a book named “All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes.” After spending three years in Africa, Maya moved back to the United States with her son in 1965 in hope for some more inspiration to help further her in her writing career. ("Maya Angelou"). Maya stated, “For Africa to me... is more than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.” (““The Story About Maya Angelou that you have never heard in her own
Born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri she was named Marguerite Johnson nicknamed “Maya” by her brother; her surname is an adaptation of that of her first husband. Because of the breakup of her parents' marriage, she and her brother lived with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. She was raped by her mother's boyfriend when she was eight and for the next five years
Angelou, Maya. "Welcome to Maya Angelou’s Official Site." Maya Angelou. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. .
In 1970, a child with skinny legs and muddy skin was introduced into African American literature. Born marguerite Johnson she became known as Maya Angelou (Lupton 51). Her critically acclaimed works have changed the way of the African American autobiography is written.
"Angelou, Maya (née Marguerite Annie Johnson)." Encyclopedia of African-american Writing. Amenia: Grey House Publishing, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 12 March 2014.
The inspirational Marguerite Ann Johnson, better known as Ms. Maya Angelo was born on April 4, 1928 to her parents Bailey and Vivian Baxter Johnson. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Maya’s parents soon divorced when she was only three years old, resulting in her and her brother Bailey Johnson Jr. moving and staying with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. (Change-maker in black history: Maya Angelou). Her grandmother Annie Henderson was one of the most important, a pious woman who ran a general store in Stamps, Arkansas. (Moore, 1) Young Maya often dreamed about being a pretty little white girl and how she wished her hair was transitioned from her nappy roots to long, silky blonde. Her grandmother however instilled the importance of being proud of your race. Living during this time it was very common to want a better life of course, but this was one of the first known racial encounter Maya faced. Upon moving back to her mother at the age of eight, tragically, Ms. Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Revealing her rapist resulted in her uncles taking matters in to their own hands, which also resulted in the death of her mother’s boyfriend. By acknowledging the power of her tongue, this tragic encountered her to go mute for about five years. (Global Renaissance Woman) Mrs. Bertha Flowers was who was acknowledged and worked with Maya to speak again at the age of thirteen.
Angelou's career started as a singer at the Purple Onion Club, in San Francisco. She later began to write lyrics that turned into poetry, and short stories. She then moved to New York to join the Harlem Writers Guild. In 1960, she becomes the Northeaster Regional Coordinator for Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and Appears in off-Broadway play, "The Blacks", produced as a benefit for the SCLC. She marries her second husband, South African freedom fighter Vusumi Make, and moves to Africa with he and her son Guy in 1962. While in Africa, she becomes an associate editor for Arab Observer in Cairo, Egypt and serves as assistant administrator at the School of Music and Drama, University of Ghana. Angelou also works as feature editor for the African Review; and contributor to the Ghanaian Times and Ghanaian Broadcasting Company. (Silvinski Lisandrelli; 1996).
Maya Angelou, named Marguerite Johnson, was born on 4 April, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. As a child, her parents, Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter, divorce. In the middle of this divorce, Maya and her brother, Bailey, are sent to live with their grandmother, Annie Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas. Growing up Maya and her brother were sent back and forth between Arkansas and California.
Maya Angelou, more formally known as Marguerite Ann Johnson was born on April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the child of Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter Johnson. When Maya was three years old, her parents got divorced. After they divorced, she and her older brother, Bailey Jr., were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. They were not sent in a normal fashion, however. Angelou and her brother were placed on a train by themselves by their father. Their father then put a tag on each of them that said “To Whom It May Concern, send these two to Stamps, Arkansas.” With only each other for support, Angelou and her brother made their way to Stamps. In Stamps, their grandmother Annie Henderson owned a general store. While in Stamps, Angelou was subjected to a great deal of racism and discrimination because she was an African American. She grew up during a time where there was an unequal status between blacks and whites. Throughout her whole time in Stamps her grandmother helped her develop a strong sense of self so that she could withstand those racist times they lived in. Her grandmother knew that if she could help Angelou understand who she is and what she stood for, then none of those racist people could get to her.
What makes a phenomenal woman? A phenomenal woman she was, Mrs. Maya Angelou truly inspired and touched people all over the world with her art and wisdom. On April 24, 1928 in St. Louis Missouri Maya Angelou was born as Marguerite Ann Johnson, I know what your thinking how did she get her glorious name Maya Angelou; well she was given the name Maya Angelou in her early twenties, after her first performance as a dancer at the Purple Onion cabaret. Growing up Angelou had stable parents her mother was Vivian Johnson a nurse and realtor, her father was Bailey Johnson and he served as a naval dietician. In about 1931 her parents relationship would resort to a divorce leaving her younger brother and she to live with their grandmother in Stamps in
Marguerite Ann Johnson more commonly known today as “Maya Angelou is an American author and poet” (absolute astronomy, web). She was a key component in the civil rights movement and worked alongside figureheads Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. In the course of her lifetime she has held several different occupations some of which being a “poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Angelou has received over 50 honorary degress, and is a professor of American studies at Wake Forest University.” (Maya Angelou official website) In 1969 one of Angelou’s most notable works I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was published. This semi biographical work caused her to gain fame “as a spokesperson for the black community and more specifically black women.” (starglimpse, web)
"Angelou, Maya (biography)." Her Heritage: A Biographical Encyclopedia of Famous American Women. 1.00 ed. 1995. eLibrary. Web. 19 May. 2014.
I will ask the students to describe the pictures, audio, and documents provided. I will ask them to describe in detail what each primary source means by evaluating the year, evaluating why the pictures were taken in black and white, and the significance of the document. I will then ask them how they could fit each piece into a story, and what
`Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl' and `I Know Why the Caged Bird
In Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman”, audiences are drawn to the bold confidence and power of the female speaker. In this poem, Maya Angelou creates the image of a woman whose confidence is not hindered or threatened by imperfections and flaws. In many analyses of this work, audiences connect this poem to the expression of Maya Angelou’s individualism and self-love after having faced many personal struggles throughout her life. In a review found in the Virginia Quarterly Review, a critic states “Its theme [“Phenomenal Woman”]- the power and depth of women- echos her own personal history […]”. This theme of power is one that transcends this poem and is seen throughout many of Angelou’s works. Additionally, Angelou’s reflection on her own life through this poem is evident in the way in which she defines this power. Rather than emphasizing perfection and ideali...
Maya Angelou is an author and poet who has risen to fame for her emotionally filled novels and her deep, heartfelt poetry. Her novels mainly focus on her life and humanity with special emphasis on her ideas of what it means to live. The way she utilizes many different styles to grab and keep readers’ attention through something as simple as an autobiography is astounding. This command of the English language and the grace with which she writes allows for a pleasant reading experience. Her style is especially prominent in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", where the early events of Angelou’s life are vividly described to the reader in the postmodern literary fashion.