Explain How Maya Angelo Relates To The Pastoral Ministry

Maya Angelou, named at birth, Marguerite Johnson was on April 4th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her and her family moved from St. Louis to Stamps, Arkansas, where she was raised growing up. Maya Angelou was an American author, dancer, screenwriter, actress, poet and civil rights activist. Angelou gained a majority of her fame with the memoir she wrote in 1969, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This memoir made literary history as being the first nonfiction best-seller by an African-American woman. Angelou received many awards and honors throughout her entire career. These awards included two NAACP Image Awards in the outstanding literary work (nonfiction) category, in 2005 and 2009. Angelou became one of the most legendary and influential

Maya Angelou is a phenomenal woman. She rises through all things that come her way and she refuses to back down. Angelou chose at a very young age to be a writer and a role model for many people. She believes that everyone should be treated equally and that the world should come together as a unity. Angelou had many careers but is known mostly for her poetic creations. She has come a long way from where she started and I think anyone can agree with me when I say, she has made us all proud with her accomplishments. Angelou writes poetry to inform and encourage others to carry on through the worst of times. She is a strong, confident, inspirational woman and I am more than honored to be doing my senior paper on her.

Maya Angelou was born April 4, 1928. Her real name is Marguerite Johnson, but she later changed it to Maya. She was born in St. Louis, shortly after her birth her family up and move to Arkansaw. Maya grew up there in the rural parts of Arkansaw, and later married to a South African Freedom Fighter. She lived in Cairo with him, there she began her career as editor of the Arab Observer.

Maya Angelou is terrific performer, singer, filmmaker, and civil-rights activist. She is a phenomenal woman, one thing that she does best is writing. She is still living today, I believe her legend will never die. If one would talk to her, he or she would think she has lead a normal, happy life. Her life is blissful now, it was not always perfect. Maya beard enough emotional stress in a time frame that most people do not experience in a lifetime. Her experiences and the lessons learned encouraged her to help others become strong. Maya Angelou is one of the best examples of someone overcoming rape, being mute for several years, and having a child at a young age to achieve success of becoming an accomplished

“You have tried to destroy me and although I perish daily I shall not be moved,” (Angelou, 2014), says Maya Angelou in her Commencement speech to the 1992 Spelman College graduates. Poet and award-winning author, Maya Angelou, is most well known for her poetry, essay collection, and memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelou happened to be the first black female cable car conductor who later started a career in theatre and music (Maya Angelou: Poet and Historian, n.d.). Once her acting and musical career began to take off, Angelou began touring with productions and released her first album Miss Calypso (Maya Angelou Fast Facts, 2017). Later, Angelou earned a Tony Award nomination for her role in the play Look Away and an Emmy Award nomination for the work she performed in the television mini-series Roots (Maya Angelou: Poet, Civil Rights Activist, Author, Activist, 2017). Angelou was also the first African American woman to have her screenplay produced (Maya Angelou: Poet, Civil Rights Activist, Author, Activist, 2017). Out of the number of poetry collections Angelou published, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘Fore I Die happened to be her most famous collection that was also nominated for the Pulitzer Prize (Maya Angelou: Poet, Civil Rights Activist, Author, Activist, 2017). The focus of this paper is to critique Angelou’s credibility, sincerity, and appeal to her whole audience in her delivery during the Spelman Commencement Address in 1992.

The inspiring African-American woman born in 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri has been one of the many influential voices of our time. Educating herself and having love for the arts helped mold her life into what she imagined becoming a poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and even a civil rights activist. During her early years while still in High School Dr. Angelou experienced brutal racial discrimination directing her to the values of traditional African-Americans.

The Christian worldview holds that one is to honor God by serving others. The scriptures in the Bible teach Christians to act out of kindness, to give unto others, and to treat others as they would like to be treated. Acts 20:35 “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’”

Maya was born on April 4,1928, in St. Louis, Mo and she was raised there as well.

Regardless of the fact that Maya Angelou´s life was full of troubles and pain, she still arose from all and became one of the strongest writers and African American Activists. ¨ Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis Missouri on April 4th , 1928 . When her parents separated , her and her brother went off to live with their grandma in Stamps, Arkansas . Her grandmother was one of the very few African American who had own her own general store. Although her grandmother was a big part of her life especially when it came to self- confidence , unfortunately Maya had went to visit in St. Louis and happened to be raped by her mother's boyfriend at the age of eight. This made Maya Angelou feel completely worthless. When her uncles founded out that this happened, they went and beaten him to death . Although the man could never touch her again , Maya Angelou felt that it was her fault of his death due to telling his name . This made Angelou not speak for around 5 years. ¨

again. But she had strived to do her best and did not give up. “You

From this Christians are taught that showing charity should come from your love of God and

Maya Angelou is one out of the best known poets. She has written a lot of poems that inspires and assist people with their lives. She has a “desire humbleness to learn and experience all that life has to offer her” (gale biography in context, “Maya Angelou More than a Poet”) which makes her poems have a meaning to them. In addition, Maya Angelou got a lot of pieces of poems considered equality to her experience as a human of the United States during race times and her experience as a person who worked with other civil right activist. Maya Angelou uses deep themes that leaves the reader to think about the topic is being talked about. In her poem, “Still I Rise” she talks metaphorically about discrimination. In the poem, it states, “does my haughtiness offend you? ( the poetry foundation, “Maya Angelou”). This quote from the poem shows how the rest of the poem is about people believe they is better than other people and that the other people should suffer because they are inferior to the people, but the people being abused should not be embarrassed of who they are and be thankful for life(“Maya Angelou More than a Poet 1”).

Maya Angelou is recognized as one of the most profound poets of the twentieth century. With her extensive wisdom of everyday life came a long and rigorous past of overcoming racial prejudices and treacherous mishap. Angelou was born on April 4th, 1928, making her the second child (her brother Bailey Jr. being the oldest) of the calamitous marriage between Bailey Johnson and Vivian Johnson. When Angelou was only three years old, her father and mother divorced. As a result of their divorce, Maya and Bailey Jr moved to Stamps, Arkansas to live with Bailey Sr.’s mother. At the age of eight, Maya was sexually abused and raped by her mother’s boyfriend, Freeman. Soon after his release from prison, Maya’s uncles tracked him down and murdered Freeman.

There are many women of today that have become a model for society. In order to have the reputation of the model woman, there is a need for accomplishment in life in addition to being a positive influence on society itself. Maya Angelou is a great example of the model woman. She has beaten the odds and has become one of the most well known African American women of today. She is an author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist. Her most influential work comes from her extraordinary books and poems. Her literature has influenced the young and old with their contents.

“I think that a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.” -Maya Angelou. Over the course of time, heroes have taken different shapes and represented the different ideals of their era. However, all heroes have the same passion at heart, which is voiced perfectly by Maya Angelou’s quote. A modern hero can represent all different qualities, but two traits that will always be staples in the making of a modern hero are honesty and bravery.