Maya Angelou is a very triumphant woman.
books and poems that have given her great success.
to her, he or she would think she has lead a normal, happy life. Her .
life is blissful now, but it wasn't always perfect. Maya Angelou's .
sorrowful life experiences inspired her to write autobiographical .
works of poetry.
Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928 as Marguerite Johnson in St. .
Louis. She was raised in segregated rural Arkansas. She came from a .
broken home. Angelou was raped at eight, and was an unwed mother at 16 .
years old (Williams 1). In spite of her tragic childhood, she still .
managed to become one of the greatest black poets of the twentieth .
century (Williams 1).
Angelou is a poet, an author, a historian, an actress, a .
playwright, a civil-rights activist, a producer, and a director. Ms. .
Angelou began her career in drama and dance, and she married a South .
African freedom fighter and lived in Cairo. Later she also taught in .
Ghana. In the 1960's she said that being black, female, non-Muslim, .
non-Arab, six foot tall, and American made for some interesting .
experiences during her stay in Africa (Williams 1). .
Ms. Angelou accomplished many things in her life. She was the .
northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference .
at the request of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She was also appointed .
to the Bicentennial Commission by President Gerald Ford, the National .
Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year by Jimmy .
Carter, and in 1993 she wrote and delivered the presidential .
inauguration for President Bill Clinton. .
Maya Angelou is a decorated author. She has been nominated for .
two Emmy awards and has won a Pulitzer Prize. She is also a highly .
cultured person. She can speak English, French, Spanish, Italian, and .
West African Fanti. And many of her poems can inspire people today.