About Maya Angelou
Childhood
Maya Angelou had a very depressing and hard childhood. Her parents divorced at three years old and she had to live with her grandparents the rest of her childhood. A couple years later when she turned eight, she was raped by her mothers boyfriend, making her unable to speak for five years. Her schoolteacher, Mrs. Flowers, taught her reading and writing making her able to speak again. When she turned sixteen, she had a baby boy named Guy Johnson. Her childhood was falling apart very quickly, and it was very stressful on her. Early Career
Maya worked at a streetcar instructing warehouse and soon became the first African American woman to become a streetcar instructor. She then became a cabaret entertainer. This is a form of entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation or drama. Her entertainment name soon came to be the Purple Onion. |
Influences on Angelou
Maya's teacher Mrs. Flowers was the main influence on her becoming a poet. She taught her writing, reading, and speaking skills to help her expand her vocabulary and become a very famous poet. When she was younger and still living with her grandparents, her grandmother taught her something that she would never forget; Do not only survive but succeed and use your common sense. She also met Martin Luther King and she made a great friend with him. Impact on Literature
Maya's writing had a huge impact on literature. Her writing was all about her childhood and adventures in her life. She inspired people to write about the positive and optimistic ways in life. She she had many hard times in her childhood, but kept her optimism. This is was inspired people and literature to be more optimistic, no matter what issues or problems they are going through. |
World Events
There were many world events Maya was in and lived through during her life. She met Martin Luther King wanting to learn his kind of writing. She was invited to recite one of her poems at Bill Clinton's presidential inauguration. She also became the coordinate of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and became an actress for the Purple onion.
There were many world events Maya was in and lived through during her life. She met Martin Luther King wanting to learn his kind of writing. She was invited to recite one of her poems at Bill Clinton's presidential inauguration. She also became the coordinate of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and became an actress for the Purple onion.