The Influences Of Maya Angelou's Literature

After Maya started speaking again at the age of 13, thanks to one of her teacher and as well as a family friend, Mrs. Bertha Flowers who helped her cope though that ruff time period, she had a whole new outlook on what she wanted to do with her life . “It was through literature that she found her voice again. And what a voice it was and is.” (Emilie M. Townes). By the age of 14, during World War II, Maya was living with her mother and brother in Oakland California. She attended the California Labor School where she had won a scholarship to study drama and dance at San Francisco’s Labor School. Three weeks after graduating from school at the age of 17, she gave birth to her son who was named Guy Johnson. Shortly afterwards, she dropped out of school and became the first African American female cable car conductor.

Maya Angelou is a leading literary voice of the African-American community. She writes of the triumph of the human spirit over hardship and adversity. “Her style captures the ca-dences and aspirations of African American women whose strength she celebrates.” (Library of Chattanooga State, n. d.) Maya has paved the way for children who has had a damaged

Maya refused to speak (for approximately 5 years) thinking that it was her fault that her rapist died. She attended several schools in Arkansas, but then transferred to a school in Carolina where she became the first African American female streetcar conductor. At the age 16 she gave birth

This is when she met a teacher named Mrs. Bertha Flowers; Flowers helped Angelou find her voice again through teaching her about communication and reading popular literary works aloud (Angelou, Caged Bird 98-101). To protect Maya and Bailey from racial discrimination, their grandmother sent them to live in San Francisco, California, where their mother had been living for some time. In California, Angelou experiences homelessness and her father’s alcoholism, but she has many accomplishments, such as becoming the first African American streetcar conductor in San Francisco and graduating high school (Angelou, Caged Bird 237-245,267-269). Soon after graduating, Angelou gave birth to her son (Angelou, Caged Bird 289-290).

Maya Angelou was an inspiring activist, poet, and woman. Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4, 1928. Throughout her lifetime she explored her career options as an actress, dancer, singer, writer, and editor among many other careers. Angelou had a tough childhood. Her parents divorced when she was very young and she was sent to live with her grandmother in Arkansas along with her brother Bailey. As an African American, Angelou experienced discrimination and racial prejudices. Angelou gave birth to her son Guy, at the age of sixteen and married her first husband Tosh Angelos, at the age of twenty-four. Angelou and Tosh divorced years later however, she did get married a couple of more times. Angelou experienced many

Born April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Maya Angelou's given name was Marguerite Johnson, Maya and her brother Bailey spent most of their childhood living with their grandmother in rural Arkansas. Maya grew up in Stamps and learned what it was like to be a black girl in a world whose boundaries were set by whites. After five years of living with her grandmother she moved back to her mother's home in Missouri. This was a bad turn for her, when her mothers' boyfriend raped her. This violent act

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.

Dr. Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, Baily Johnson, was a doorman, and, later a dietician for the navy. Her mother, Vivian Johnson, was a registered nurse. When Angelou was three years old, her parents were divorced. They sent her and her four-year-old brother, Baily, Jr., to live with their paternal grandmother, Annie Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas. Henderson ran a small general store and managed to scrape by. She continued to do so after her grandchildren joined her. Angelou's grandmother was one the many strong who trained her, helped her, and provided her with role models. The people of her church also nurtured her and gave her a sense of belonging to a community. But her

Maya’s younger years were filled with pain and tragedy. When she was only three years old, her parents separated, moving Maya and her brother into the home of their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. While growing up in this area, Angelou became aware of the discrimination and racism that was prevalent during this time in America. (Hyperlink.com) At the age of eight, Angelou was reinstated into the care of her mother. It was during this time period that Maya was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. Shortly after this incident occurred, Angelou became mute and would not speak again for five years. This time period in Maya Angelou’s life would

At the age of 16, Maya left home with her son Guy. She supported them by working menial jobs such as waitressing and being a cook. In 1952, Maya married a Greek sailor named Anatasis Angelopules. In her career as a nightclub singer, she used Maya Angelou as her professional name. Even though her marriage was short lived, her performing career was blooming. In 1954-1955, she toured Europe with an opera production for Porgy and Bess. Maya also studied modern dance with Martha Graham, danced with Alvin Ailey on TV, and recorded her first album “Calypso” in 1957.

Louis. The man who assaulted her was her mother boyfriend, who was later found dead. He was “kicked to death” the same night of the incident (Bloom 3). The incident concluded with five years of silence for Maya (Eller, 2). Maya’s rape incident was compared to the suffering of the African American community in the South during the 1930’s and 1940’s. Edward Eller, an assistant professor of English at Northeast Louisiana University writes that; “Just as the child had to give in to her rapist because she has no choice but to endure and survive, the blacks had no choice” (Eller, 2). The fight for Maya to fulfill her American Dream of finding a home, and being accepted into American society goes hand in hand with the fight for civil rights for the African American society. Eller states that Angelou’s voice through her literature showed African Americans that they could overcome racism and segregation; “Because Angelou shows us we can do more than endure. We can Triumph” (Eller, 2). Young Angelou along with the blacks in the South were looking for a place to call home, together they searched for a place where they belonged, were they fit in.

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 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 was a fighter who suffered most of her life with female bond. One of her features is quite interesting was her strength. Even though she experienced a variety of problems in her life, she never gave up and she kept pushing for the prosperity of her life. Maya Angelou is a woman with a strong character. She teaches how to keep ourselves up

Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928-May 28, 2014) was an American author, actress, screenwriter dancer and poet. She was known for her memoir, I know Why the Caged Bird Sings (bibography.com). “Her parents divorced when she was only three and she was sent with her brother Bailey to live with their grandmother in the small town of Stamps, Arkansas. In Stamps, the young girl experienced the racial discrimination that was the legally enforced way of life in the American