5/28/2014 BBC News - Obituary: Maya Angelou

Obituary: Maya Angelou

Charisati! an" #assionate war an" wise$ %ori"able without being %orbi""ing$ Aeri!an author an" #oet Maya Angelou$ who
has "ie" age" 8&$ was a role o"el an" an a!ti'ist who re!or"e" an" !elebrate" the e(#erien!e o% being bla!) in the *nite"
+tates,
Not e'eryone a##re!iate" her lush #rose style$ there were raise" eyebrows at the in!onsisten!ies in her "i%%erent a!!ounts o% her
li%e$ an" soe !onser'ati'e Aeri!ans #roteste" at what they saw as her boo)s- %ran) treatent o% 'iolen!e an" se(uality,
But %ew !oul" .uarrel with the brea"th o% her eru"ition an" her a!hie'eent - she was o%ten !alle" a /enaissan!e woan -
or the res#e!t in whi!h she was hel",
0ersonal traua
+he was born Marguerite 1ohnson in +t 2ouis$ Missouri on 4 A#ril 1328$ the "aughter o% a nurse an" night!lub habituee$ 4i'ian
Ba(ter 1ohnson$ an" a "ooran an" na'y !oo)$ Bailey 1ohnson,
5er #arents soon "i'or!e" an" her other$ unable to !o#e with two sall !hil"ren$ sent Maya an" her brother Bailey 1unior to
li'e with their gran"other$ who )e#t a general store in the bla!) se!tion o% +ta#s$ Ar)ansas,
6he nae Maya !ae %ro her brother-s !hil"ish way o% saying 7My-a sister7,
+he s#ent u!h o% the ne(t 10 years growing u# in one o% Aeri!a-s #oorest regions$ e(#erien!ing %irst-han" the ra!ial segregation
an" #re8u"i!e o% the 9ee# +outh: an e(#erien!e brought 'i'i"ly to li%e in her %irst 'olue o% autobiogra#hy$ : ;now <hy the Cage"
Bir" +ings$ #ublishe" in 13=0,
At the age o% se'en$ on a 'isit to +t 2ouis$ she was ra#e" by her other-s boy%rien", <hen she tol" her %aily what ha" ha##ene" the
an was arreste"$ trie"$ release" %ro 8ail an" shortly a%terwar"s ur"ere" - #robably by her un!les$ her other-s brothers,
>or the ne(t %i'e years she "i"n-t s#ea),
7: was a 'olunteer ute, : ha" 'oi!e but : re%use" to use it$7 she later re!alle",
7<hen : hear" about his ur"er$ : thought y 'oi!e ha" )ille" a an an" so it wasn-t sa%e to s#ea), A%ter a while$ : no longer )new
why : "i"n-t s#ea)$ : si#ly "i"n-t s#ea),7
?(traor"inary !areer
But$ though ute$ she rea" 'ora!iously an" was ultiately #ersua"e" to s#ea) again by a %rien" o% her gran"other who
re!ognise" her #assion %or #oetry an" tol" her that$ to be e(#erien!e" %ully$ it ha" to be s#o)en alou",
Angelou later re!alle" her saying: 7@ou will ne'er lo'e #oetry until you a!tually %eel it !oe a!ross your tongue$ through your teeth$
o'er your li#s,7
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5/28/2014 BBC News - Obituary: Maya Angelou
2ater she went to li'e with her other in +an >ran!is!o Dan" renewe" her relationshi# with her %ather$ also li'ing in Cali%orniaE,
At the age o% 15 she ba"gere" one o% +an >ran!is!o-s street!ar !o#anies into a)ing her the !ity-s %irst %eale !able !ar !on"u!tor, At
the age o% 1& she ga'e birth to her only !hil"$ a son$ a%ter a lo'eless one-night stan" un"erta)en largely in a s#irit o% in.uiry,
Be%ore long she ha" ebar)e" on an e(traor"inary !areer that in!lu"e" stints as a "an!er$ waitress$ #rostitute an" #i#, +he
be!ae an a!tress an" singer$ re!or"e" an albu o% !aly#so songs$ a##eare" on Broa"way an" tra'elle" to ?uro#e in a touring
#ro"u!tion o% 0orgy an" Bess,
Along the way she a!.uire" two or #ossibly three husban"s Dshe was always a little 'ague about the %a!tsE$ an" too) her surnae
%ro the %irst$ an as#iring Free) usi!ian !alle" ?nistasios Angelos,
:n 13&1 she wor)e" %or a tie as northern !o-or"inator %or Martin 2uther ;ing-s +outhern Christian 2ea"ershi# Con%eren!e$
then %ollowe" a +outh A%ri!an %ree"o %ighter$ 4usuGi Ma)e$ to Cairo$ where she be!ae a 8ournalist,
2ater she too) her son to Fhana$ where she et the bla!) a!ti'ist Mal!ol H, +he returne" to the *nite" +tates in 13&5 to wor)
with hi$ but he was )ille" shortly a%terwar"s, A %ew years later Martin 2uther ;ing too was assassinate",
7: along with a nuber o% young #eo#le at the tie ha" been "isen!hante"$ an" %elt angry an" #roteste" ine.uality$7 she later
tol" the BBC when she re!alle" her tie with Martin 2uther ;ing an" Mal!ol H, 7But until the Ci'il /ights o'eent !ae
along there was no !lear way to o##ose the ine.uities,7
7: was 'ery sure that between the two en$ an" the woen$ between the %ollowers o% both grou#s$ we woul" !ertainly ha'e a lan"
where all the #eo#le$ all the %aith grou#s$ all the A"as an" ?'es woul" ha'e a !han!e to stan" %or a while in the sun, <hen those
two en were )ille" we all stuble" about li)e blin"e" oles, :t was really "isastrous %or bla!) Aeri!ans,7
A!a"ei! !areer
:t was aroun" this tie that her %rien"$ the writer 1aes Bal"win$ hel#e" #ersua"e her to write her %irst 'olue o% autobiogra#hy, :t
was a best seller$ an" si( ore 'olues %ollowe" o'er the "e!a"es,
+he began #ublishing #oetry as well$ wrote a %eature %il s!reen#lay$ wrote an" #resente" a 10-#art 64 series about the blues an"
bla!) Aeri!ans- A%ri!an heritage$ an" #laye" ;unte ;inte-s A%ri!an gran"other in the groun"-brea)ing 64 series /oots$ about the
bla!) e(#erien!e o% sla'ery,
:n the 1380s she a""e" another string to her bow$ be!oing an a!a"ei! an" #ro%essor o% Aeri!an stu"ies at <a)e >orest
*ni'ersity in North Carolina - a #restigious white uni'ersity, :n the )it!hen o% her hoe there Done o% se'eral she aintaine"$
in!lu"ing one in New @or)-s 5arleE she #ra!tise" another s)ill %or whi!h she was renowne"$ !oo)ery,
By now she was #erha#s the worl"-s best-)nown bla!) %eale writer an" one o% Aeri!a-s best-)nown bla!) woen, Bill Clinton
a!)nowle"ge" her status when he as)e" her to rea" a #oe at his inauguration in 133A, Calle" On 6he 0ulse o% the Morning$ it in!lu"e"
the lines: 75istory$ "es#ite its wren!hing #ain$ !annot be unli'e"/But i% %a!e" with !ourage nee" not be li'e" again,7
?ight years later Bara!) Obaa awar"e" her the 0resi"ential Me"al o% >ree"o,
+hortly a%terwar"s she re!alle" that Martin 2uther ;ing$ in the 13&0s$ ha" #re"i!te" that Aeri!a woul" ha'e a bla!) #resi"ent in
40 years: she ha"n-t belie'e" it #ossible an" ha" su##orte" 5illary Clinton-s bi" %or the 9eo!rati! noination Dthe two were long-
stan"ing %rien"sE,
6hroughout her li%e she was a su#erb #hrase-a)er$ on the #age an" in the %lesh, +he ha" the )na!) o% s#ea)ing - in the +outhern
a!!ent she retaine" all her li%e an" with a !hara!teristi! slow$ "eliberate "eli'ery - in !o#lete an" graati!ally #er%e!t senten!es,
+he was a !oan"ing %igure$ stan"ing si( %eet tall$ an" iensely stri)ing, O% all her a!hie'eents$ #erha#s the ost i#ressi'e
was her own !hara!ter, 2i%e$ she belie'e"$ was to be li'e", 76he e(!iteent is not
8ust to sur'i'e$7 she on!e sai"$ 7but to thri'e$ an" to thri'e with soe #assion$ soe !o#assion$ soe huour an" soe style,7
More ?ntertainent I Arts storie s
Author Maya Angelou "ies age" 8 &
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Author an" #oet Maya Angelou has "ie"$ age" 8&$ the ayor-s o%%i!e in <inston-+ale$ North Carolina$ !on%irs,
6urner -e(!ellent- in Ba)ers%iel" Mis t
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Criti! rea!ts to +eth /ogen ba!)las h
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