OVERVIEW
Maya Angelou was an acclaimed American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist, best known for her autobiographical works, particularly I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which recounts her experiences growing up in the segregated South. Born in 1928, Angelou’s life spanned a wide range of roles, including being a dancer, singer, and director. Her powerful writing and poetry, often focused on themes of identity, resilience, and social justice, earned her numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Angelou’s voice became iconic in both the literary and social realms, and she continues to be celebrated for her profound impact on literature and activism.
TIMELINE
- April 4, 1928 - Maya Angelou is born in St. Louis, Missouri.
- 1942 - Angelou dropped out of school to become San Francisco’s first African-American female car conductor.
- 1955 - Angelou toured Europe with a production of the opera “Porgy and Bess.”
- 1957 - Recorded her first album, “Calypso Lady.”
- 1958 - Angelou moved to New York, where she joined the Harlem Writers Guild. She acted in Jean Genet’s Off-Broadway production, “The Blacks,” and performed “Cabaret for Freedom.”
- 1960 - Angelo moved to Cairo, Egypt where she served as editor of the English language weekly The Arab Observer.
- 1961 - She moved to Ghana, where she taught at the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama. She worked as a feature editor for The African Review and wrote for The Ghanaian Times.
- 1964 - Returned to America to help Malcolm X build his new organization of African American Unity.
- 1970 - Published “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” also received the Chubb Fellowship from Yale University. Angelou has received over 50 honorary degrees.
- 1972 - Film “Georgia, Georgia” came out. Angelou wrote the screenplay and composed the score. Her script was the first ever written by an African American woman to be filmed, and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
- 1977 - Appeared in the television adaptation of Alex Haley’s “Roots.”
- 1982 - Joined the faculty at Wake Forest University as a Professor of American Studies.
- 1993 - Appeared in John Singleton’s Poetic Justice. Won Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Or Non-Musical Album for “On the Pulse of Morning.”
- 1995 - Won Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Or Non-Musical Album for “Phenomenal Woman.”
- 1996 - Directed her first feature film, Down in the Delta.
- 2000 - Awarded the Presidential Medal of arts.
- 2002 - Won Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album with “A Song Flung Up To Heaven.”
- 2008 - Composed poetry for and narrated the award-winning documentary The Black Candle, directed by M.K. Asante. Also awarded the Lincoln Medal.
- 2011 - Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama at the White House.
- May 23, 2014 - Angelou sent her last tweet: “Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”
- May 28, 2014 - Maya Angelou passes away in her Winston Salem home.
FAMOUS QUOTES
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
“When someone shows you who they are believe them the first time.” ― Maya Angelou
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” ― Maya Angelou