MAYA ANGELOU

Great poet and influential figure of African-American culture who fought for civil rights and equality from the overcoming of childhood trauma.

St. Louis, Missouri. (4 april 1928-28 may 2014)


When Maya was eight years old, she was raped by her mother's boyfriend. Little Maya told her brother, and this one to the rest of the family. The rapist was killed, probably by Angelou's uncles, and Maya remained speechless for almost five years, believing “that my voice had killed him; I killed that man because I said his name. And then I thought I would never speak again, because my voice could kill anyone "

It was during this period of silence that Maya developed her extraordinary memory, her love for books and literature and her great ability to observe the world around her.
She discovered authors such as Dickens, Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe... who influenced her life and career. She also discovered black feminist artists such as Frances Harper, Anne Spencer and Jessie Fauset.

She is known for the amount of works she had (mainly to raise her son at age 17). Maya was an actress, singer, dancer, cooker, journalist, tram driver and even a prostitute. There are no works left!

In the mid-1960s, Maya Angelou developed her writing and confirmed her commitment to social activism and the protection of civil rights.
The most remarkable thing about her professional life is that she was a writer and poet, she was a spokeswoman for black people and women with works that are a defense of black culture. Some of her works like “And still I rise” or “The heart of a woman” show this perfectly.

"It was horrible being black and having no control over my life," she wrote in his first autobiography, "I know why the caged bird sings."

There were always attempts to censor his books in American bookstores, however, his works are now in schools and universities around the world. Maya´s legacy is unstoppable.

She had a Pulitzer Award nomination, three Grammy Awards and more than fifty honorary titles. Everything she achieved, was done from self-improvement after a traumatic situation, so Maya and her works must be admired.

Maya Angelou was an independent and hardworking woman.




Here there is a very recomended video of Maya performing "And still I rise". Hope you like it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOqo50LSZ0