Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, to Bailey Johnson, a doorman and navy dietitian, and Vivian Johnson, a nurse and card dealer. Her parents divorced when she was three.

Maya and her brother Bailey Jr. moved to San Francisco to live with their mother. She attended Mission High School and studied dance and drama on a scholarship at the California Labor School.

At the age of 16, Maya became the first African American female streetcar conductor in San Francisco, a job she held for a short time while finishing high school.

Maya married Tosh Angelos, a Greek electrician and aspiring musician, in 1951. She took the professional name Maya Angelou, combining her childhood nickname with a shortened version of her husband's surname.

Maya began her professional dance career, performing in a production of Porgy and Bess. She toured Europe with the cast, gaining international recognition and experience.

Maya moved to New York City to focus on her writing and acting. She joined the Harlem Writers Guild and became involved in the Civil Rights Movement, working with leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.

Maya published her first autobiography, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' which became an instant bestseller and brought her international acclaim. The book details her early life and the challenges she faced as a young African American woman.

Maya's first collection of poetry, 'Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Diiie,' was published. The collection won a Pulitzer Prize nomination and solidified her reputation as a powerful and influential poet.

Maya was appointed the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she taught a variety of subjects, including literature, drama, and creative writing.

Maya delivered her poem 'On the Pulse of Morning' at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton, becoming the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost in 1961. The poem was widely acclaimed and published as a bestseller.

Maya Angelou died at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on May 28, 2014, at the age of 86. Her death was mourned by fans and admirers worldwide, who celebrated her profound impact on literature and civil rights.