Maya Angelou Essay

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Maya Angelou was originally born as Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928. She spent the majority of her childhood in St. Louis as well as Stamps, Arkansas. Today, Angelou is a renowned for many accomplishments including an author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist. She is best known for her autobiographical works I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), Gather Together in My Name (1974), Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas (1976), The Heart of a Woman (1981), and All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986). Angelou’s poetry includes A Brave and Startling Truth (Random House, 1995), The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou (1994), Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now (1993), Now Sheba Sings the Song (1987), I Shall Not Be Moved (1990), Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? (1983), Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well (1975), and Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie (1971), which was nominated for the Pulitzer prize. During the civil rights decade of the1960’s, Maya Angelou became the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference—founded by Martin Luther King Jr. In 1961 to 1962 she also served as the associate editor of The Arab Observer in Cairo, Egypt. It was the only English-language news weekly in the Middle East. Then in 1964 to 1966 Angelou became feature editor of the African Review in Accra, Ghana. When she returned to the U.S. in 1974, she was appointed by President Gerald Ford to the Bicentennial Commission. A few years later, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the Commission for International Woman of the Year. In 1981, Angelou accepted a lifetime appointment as Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North

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