Biography

Claire Bender Biography March 14, 2012

Maya Angelou

 April 4, 1928 was the day that did little know a woman who would change the lives of millions not just through worldwide decisions, but through poetry was born. Maya Angelou born to the name of Marguerite Ann Johnson was born in St. Louis, Missouri (Maya). Maya Angelou is not just a poet, but she was also involved in movies, plays and television shows. Maya has also traveled all over the world as a journalist for the Harlem Writers Guild. She was a journalist in Ghana and Egypt during the decolonization (Maya). Ms. Angelou was not your goody to shoe type of girl everyone might have expected her to be. Maya was at one point a pimp and night club dancer. She was involved in some other risky occupations. But as Maya got older she became more involved with the world and started to work with the civil rights movement. While Maya was doing this she had the chance to work with the King himself and Malcolm X. in 1991 she taught at Wake forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

 Maya Angelou as stated before was not just a poet. She was also a writer of six autobiographies; five books of essays and of course many, many poems (Maya). In 1993 Maya wrote the poem “On the Pulse of the Morning” for Bill Clintons Inauguration. Bill Clinton

actually requested a poem from he himself (poets.org). Mayas style of writing is being straight forward with what she believes and what she says is very honest, open and shows emotion (Maya). Angelou was influenced by many people. From family to Dr. Martin Luther King.

Maya Angelou made differences in the world not by just writing poetry but by getting involved. In 2011 Maya Angelou was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom presented to her by President Obama. Maya Angelou has changed the outlook of the world for many African Americans and she is showing them that they can do anything if they just set their mind to it. Maya Angelou today is 82 and still working and still making public appearances. She will be 83 on April 4, 2012.

Work Cited: Maya Angelou- Poets.org." //Poets.org//. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. .  Website [|Tags] Edit [|Delete]  "Maya Angelou." //Wikipedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Mar. 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou>. <span style="color: #9aa7b9; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Website <span style="color: #1060ac; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">[|Tags] <span style="color: #1060ac; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">Edit <span style="color: #1060ac; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">[|Delete]

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<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Minzesheimer, Bob. //USA Today//. Gannett. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-03-26-maya-angelou_N.htm>. <span style="color: #9aa7b9; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Website <span style="color: #1060ac; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">[|Tags] <span style="color: #1060ac; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">Edit <span style="color: #1060ac; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none;">[|Delete] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> "Welcome to Maya Angelouâ™s Official Site." //Maya Angelou//. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://mayaangelou.com/>.