Photo: York College ISLGP / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Honestly, Maya Angelou might be the most complete human being I've ever encountered through words alone. Born in 1928 St. Louis, she lived through Jim Crow, trauma, and silence — literally went mute for years as a child after a devastating experience — and then came out the other side with a voice so powerful it shook the nation. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings hit like a freight train when it came out in 1969, and And Still I Rise became something close to a universal anthem. When she read "On the Pulse of Morning" at Clinton's 1993 inauguration, I remember thinking: this is what language is actually for. Three Grammy wins for spoken word recordings make total sense — her voice was an instrument. She passed in 2014, and the loss still feels real.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Maya Angelou
- Name (Japanese)
- マヤ・アンジェロウ
- Reading
- まや・あんじぇろう
- Born
- April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Dragon
- Origin
- St. Louis, Missouri, United States
- Occupation
- politician / comedian / dancer / film producer / television producer
2. Background
- High school
- George Washington High School
Awards & achievements
- 1998 National Women's Hall of Fame
- 1991 Langston Hughes Medal
- 1993 Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording
- 1994 Spingarn Medal
- 1995 Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording
- 2002 Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording
- 2005 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Nonfiction
- 2008 Marian Anderson Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | — | |
| Notable work | On the Pulse of Morning | — | |
| Notable work | And Still I Rise | — | |
| Notable work | Even the Stars Look Lonesome | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Maya Angelou born?
April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014.
Where is Maya Angelou from?
Maya Angelou is from St. Louis, Missouri, United States.
What does Maya Angelou do?
Maya Angelou works as politician, comedian, dancer, film producer, television producer.
What is Maya Angelou known for?
Notable works include I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, On the Pulse of Morning, And Still I Rise.
Politician — see all → · Comedian — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.