Maya Angelou was one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th century. Born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, she was an American poet, memoirist, activist, and civil rights leader. Her real name was derived from her older brother, who she described as “my town of Mayaku, with its mystic beauty and its mythic motion.” Aside from her distinctive writing style and her amazing accomplishments, what is perhaps most remarkable about Angelou is the way she consistently reinvented herself throughout her lifetime.
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1. Maya Angelou Life and Accomplishments
2. Social Activism and Civil Rights
3. Conclusion of Life
4. Legacy
5. Philanthropy
From an early age, Angelou’s family arrived at great lengths to imbue her with a sense of “embodied knowledge.” Her mother taught her to appreciate books, her father introduced her to jazz music and blues, and a foster mother taught her the basics of poetry. By the time she was seven, she was already familiar with Black Southern culture, which provided a foundation for her work.
Throughout her life, Angelou had to confront racism and the obstacles of poverty in the course of her career. From her days as a young girl to the time she stepped onto the stage of her first published book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Angelou was under tremendous pressure to conform to the conventions of the times, yet she managed to rise above these challenges and remain resolute, never letting her origins define her.
In her later years, Angelou became a professor of American studies at Wake Forest University. Here, she worked with students from all walks of life and helped them develop their own creative voices. In 2015, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her achievements, and her body of work still carries a strong legacy today.
Angelou adopted her stage name as a form of self-expression and unapologetic representation of who she was. Choosing to use her real name as a form of empowerment, Angelou pushed boundaries and blazed her own unique path. Despite the challenges, she found the courage to be herself. Ultimately, this courage sparked a powerful and vivid outpour of creativity, resulting in Angelou’s prodigious body of literature.
Maya Angelou Life and Accomplishments
Angelou was an active member of the civil rights movement, consulted with leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Stokely Carmichael, and published her first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in 1969. Such a high-profile accomplishment was a stunning testament to her courage and tenacity—and it also marked a turning point in Angelou’s career.
Shortly afterward, she moved to Egypt and became involved in the Arab-African cultural renaissance. While there, she wrote her second autobiography, Gather Together in My Name. Her works during this period focus on African-American culture, social issues, and the black experience. That same year, she returned to San Francisco, where she became a renowned figure in the African American community.
In the late 1970s, Angelou gained greater fame after participating in 200 television projects and two films. She also continued to write, producing a series of poetry collections, including The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie, and Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now.
The years that followed proved to be some of Angelou’s most productive and recognizable. She wrote her fifth autobiography, A Song Flung Up to Heaven, in 2002. She went on to produce several more works, including the phenomenal I Shall Not Be Moved and the hard-hitting The Heart of a Woman. Her poetry came to define her larger body of work—it combined graceful language, vivid imagery, and a strong sense of rhythm.
Social Activism and Civil Rights
Angelou spent much of her lifetime speaking out on issues surrounding race. As a leader of the civil rights movement, she was an advocate for change and encouraged her followers to fight for what was right. The power of her words was often understated—they were commanding, yet delivered with a gentle, feminine touch.
Angelou’s writing and activism, driven by her passion for civil rights, extended far beyond the black community. In 1993, President Bill Clinton invited her to deliver the inaugural poem for his inauguration, making her the first person to ever do so. She continued to speak out against injustice through powerful written pieces such as her much-loved “On the Pulse of Morning.”
In 2008, Angelou published Her Words, a collection of her works, while also making time to launch a media company called Maya Angelou Industries and continuing to put her career’s worth of wisdom into action.
An outspoken supporter of Native American rights, Angelou was a fierce defender of the environment, an advocate for women’s rights, and an advocate for gun control. Her tireless work for social justice was an inspiration to millions across the world.
Conclusion of Life
In 2014, Angelou went into semi-retirement. Despite her many accomplishments, she suffered a number of health problems in later life and eventually passed away in May of 2014 due to complications of heart failure. She was 86.
In death, as in life, Angelou’s real name—Marguerite Ann Johnson—will always remain as an enduring symbol of her incredible journey. Her birth name signifies her strength, her grace, and her undying commitment to justice and equality.
Legacy
Since her death, Angelou’s influence has gained even greater recognition. In 2015, the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, renamed its airport after her, and the National Council of Teachers of English inducted her into their Hall of Fame.
In 2018, during the celebration of her 90th birthday, L.A. unified school district renamed a school in Los Angeles after her, and her birthday was declared a “Day of Inspiration” by the city of St. Louis.
Maya Angelou’s literary work has also been remembered for its courage. Her debut collection of poems, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Die, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and her book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was nominated for a National Book Award.
Angelou’s real name will continue to ripple through the pages of history books, her unique and powerful voice reverberating through generations to come.
Philanthropy
After her death, Angelou’s philanthropic endeavors were remembered. She supported a wide range of causes, from wildlife protection to youth empowerment, and continued to use her voice to advocate for social justice.
At the request of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Angelou attended the celebration of South African leader Nelson Mandela’s seventieth birthday. In 2004, she served as co-chair of the Presidential Advisory Commission on the Arts, while in 2008 she created the nonprofit organization Maya Angelou Quoties, helping young people in poverty to access education.
In the latter years of her life, Angelou launched the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity at her alma mater, Wake Forest University, to focus on reducing health disparities among black communities. The Center aims to educate communities about health services, health policies, and chronic diseases. The center is also working toward providing equitable access to health care.
Angelou also continued to speak out on the need for gun control, claiming that “every child deserves the right to grow up without guns in their faces.” Her own experiences growing up in a world of hardship and inequality gave her a deep understanding of the power and importance of social change. In honoring her work, we honor the power of one person to make a difference.
