Figure: Maya Angelou

pic: mayaangelou.com

Marguerite Annie Johnson or Maya Angelou is a poet, orator, and African-American actress, born on 4th April 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents, Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter Johnson were divorced and Maya lived with her grandmother for several years. She kept his culture of traditional African-American family. In her childhood, she experienced the brutality of racial discrimination. She is highly respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women.

She wrote some books based on her life experience, the title of her books are I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (1970), Gather Together in My Name (1974), and A Song Flung Up To Heaven (2002). She is also the first African-American woman who wrote a scenario of a movie, Georgia, Georgia (1971). Angelou's use of fiction-writing techniques such as dialogue, characterization, and development of theme, setting, plot, and language has often resulted in the placement of her books into the genre of autobiographical fiction. Themes in Angelou's autobiographies are racism, identity, family and travel.

She received many appreciation, her honors included a National Book award nomination for I Know why the Caged Bird Sings, a Pulitzer Prize nomination for her book of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie, a Tony Award nomination for her role in the 1973 play Look Away, etc.

Some people may dont know her, but she is really really a great woman who has a great life experience. From her, we can learn that the low social class, the black skin, the minorities is not a shield for becoming a great person.  I wanna post her poem soon.

Maya Angelou's Official site: mayaangelou.com