Contents
Maya Angelou
Writing I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Memoir · Civil rights
- Born
- 4 April 1928
- Birthplace
- St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Died
- 28 May 2014
More people
Maya Angelou
An American memoirist and poet whose writing connects personal experience with racism, family, identity and resilience.
Early life
Arkansas childhood
Spent formative years with her grandmother in Stamps.
A family nickname
Her brother’s nickname for her became Maya.
Career
- 1950s
Performance work
Worked as a singer and dancer before becoming known for books.
- 1969
Memoir breakthrough
Published the first volume of her life story.
- 1982
University appointment
Became a professor of American Studies at Wake Forest.
Selected work
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Memoir of childhood and adolescence.
And Still I Rise
Poems asserting dignity and endurance.
On the Pulse of Morning
Poem delivered at Bill Clinton’s inauguration.
Beyond work
Civil rights
Worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
Public speaking
Maintained an extensive lecture career into her later years.
Sources & photo credit
Biographical reference ↗Poetry Foundation: biography ↗Photo: Clinton Library. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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