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.
Overview
Maya Angelou ( AN-jə-loh; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, essayist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
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
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- politician / comedian / dancer / film producer / television producer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- George Washington High School
- University
- Private
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
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
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
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.