8/12/2019 Obituary_ Maya Angelou

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5/28/2014 BBC News - Obituary: Maya Angelou

Obituary: Maya Angelou

Charis ati! an" #assionate war an" wise$ %or i"able without being %orbi""ing$ A eri!an author an" #oet Maya Angelou$ who

has "ie" age" 8&$ was a role o"el an" an a!ti'ist who re!or"e" an" !elebrate" the e(#erien!e o% being bla!) in the *nite"

+tates,

Not e'eryone a##re!iate" her lush #rose style$ there were raise" eyebrows at the in!onsisten!ies in her "i%%erent a!!ounts o% her

li%e$ an" so e !onser'ati'e A eri!ans #roteste" at what they saw as her boo)s %ran) treat ent o% 'iolen!e an" se(uality,

But %ew !oul" .uarrel with the brea"th o% her eru"ition an" her a!hie'e ent - she was o%ten !alle" a enaissan!e wo an -

or the res#e!t in whi!h she was hel",

ersonal trau a+he was born Marguerite ohnson in +t ouis$ Missouri on 4 A#ril 1328$ the "aughter o% a nurse an" night!lub habituee$ i'ianBa(ter ohnson$ an" a "oor an an" na'y !oo)$ Bailey ohnson,

er #arents soon "i'or!e" an" her other$ unable to !o#e with two s all !hil"ren$ sent Maya an" her brother Bailey unior toli'e with their gran" other$ who )e#t a general store in the bla!) se!tion o% +ta #s$ Ar)ansas,

6he na e Maya !a e %ro her brother s !hil"ish way o% saying 7My-a sister7,

+he s#ent u!h o% the ne(t 10 years growing u# in one o% A eri!a s #oorest regions$ e(#erien!ing %irst-han" the ra!ial segregationan" #re u"i!e o% the 9ee# +outh: an e(#erien!e brought 'i'i"ly to li%e in her %irst 'olu e o% autobiogra#hy$ ;now <hy the Cage"Bir" +ings$ #ublishe" in 13=0,

At the age o% se'en$ on a 'isit to +t ouis$ she was ra#e" by her other s boy%rien", <hen she tol" her %a ily what ha" ha##ene" the

an was arreste"$ trie"$ release" %ro ail an" shortly a%terwar"s ur"ere" - #robably by her un!les$ her other s brothers,

>or the ne(t %i'e years she "i"n t s#ea),

7 was a 'olunteer ute, ha" 'oi!e but re%use" to use it$7 she later re!alle",

7<hen hear" about his ur"er$ thought y 'oi!e ha" )ille" a an an" so it wasn t sa%e to s#ea), A%ter a while$ no longer )new

why "i"n t s#ea)$ si #ly "i"n t s#ea),7

?(traor"inary !areer But$ though ute$ she rea" 'ora!iously an" was ulti ately #ersua"e" to s#ea) again by a %rien" o% her gran" other whore!ognise" her #assion %or #oetry an" tol" her that$ to be e(#erien!e" %ully$ it ha" to be s#o)en alou",

Angelou later re!alle" her saying: 7@ou will ne'er lo'e #oetry until you a!tually %eel it !o e a!ross your tongue$ through your teeth$o'er your li#s,7

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8/12/2019 Obituary_ Maya Angelou

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5/28/2014 BBC News - Obituary: Maya Angelou

ater she went to li'e with her other in +an >ran!is!o Dan" renewe" her relationshi# with her %ather$ also li'ing in Cali%orniaE,

At the age o% 15 she ba"gere" one o% +an >ran!is!o s street!ar !o #anies into a)ing her the !ity s %irst %e ale !able !ar !on"u!tor, At

the age o% 1& she ga'e birth to her only !hil"$ a son$ a%ter a lo'eless one-night stan" un"erta)en largely in a s#irit o% in.uiry,

Be%ore long she ha" e bar)e" on an e(traor"inary !areer that in!lu"e" stints as a "an!er$ waitress$ #rostitute an" #i #, +hebe!a e an a!tress an" singer$ re!or"e" an albu o% !aly#so songs$ a##eare" on Broa"way an" tra'elle" to ?uro#e in a touring#ro"u!tion o% orgy an" Bess,

Along the way she a!.uire" two or #ossibly three husban"s Dshe was always a little 'ague about the %a!tsE$ an" too) her surna e

%ro the %irst$ an as#iring Free) usi!ian !alle" ?nistasios Angelos,

n 13&1 she wor)e" %or a ti e as northern !o-or"inator %or Martin uther ;ing s +outhern Christian ea"ershi# Con%eren!e$

then %ollowe" a +outh A%ri!an %ree"o %ighter$ usu Gi Ma)e$ to Cairo$ where she be!a e a ournalist,

ater she too) her son to Fhana$ where she et the bla!) a!ti'ist Mal!ol H, +he returne" to the *nite" +tates in 13&5 to wor)

with hi $ but he was )ille" shortly a%terwar"s, A %ew years later Martin uther ;ing too was assassinate",

7 along with a nu ber o% young #eo#le at the ti e ha" been "isen!hante"$ an" %elt angry an" #roteste" ine.uality$7 she later tol" the BBC when she re!alle" her ti e with Martin uther ;ing an" Mal!ol H, 7But until the Ci'il ights o'e ent !a e

along there was no !lear way to o##ose the ine.uities,7

7 was 'ery sure that between the two en$ an" the wo en$ between the %ollowers o% both grou#s$ we woul" !ertainly ha'e a lan"where all the #eo#le$ all the %aith grou#s$ all the A"a s an" ?'es woul" ha'e a !han!e to stan" %or a while in the sun, <hen thosetwo en were )ille" we all stu ble" about li)e blin"e" oles, t was really "isastrous %or bla!) A eri!ans,7

A!a"e i! !areer t was aroun" this ti e that her %rien"$ the writer a es Bal"win$ hel#e" #ersua"e her to write her %irst 'olu e o% autobiogra#hy, t

was a best seller$ an" si( ore 'olu es %ollowe" o'er the "e!a"es,

+he began #ublishing #oetry as well$ wrote a %eature %il s!reen#lay$ wrote an" #resente" a 10-#art 6 series about the blues an"bla!) A eri!ans A%ri!an heritage$ an" #laye" ;unte ;inte s A%ri!an gran" other in the groun"-brea)ing 6 series oots$ about thebla!) e(#erien!e o% sla'ery,

n the 1380s she a""e" another string to her bow$ be!o ing an a!a"e i! an" #ro%essor o% A eri!an stu"ies at <a)e >orest*ni'ersity in North Carolina - a #restigious white uni'ersity, n the )it!hen o% her ho e there Done o% se'eral she aintaine"$in!lu"ing one in New @or) s arle E she #ra!tise" another s)ill %or whi!h she was renowne"$ !oo)ery,

By now she was #erha#s the worl" s best-)nown bla!) %e ale writer an" one o% A eri!a s best-)nown bla!) wo en, Bill Clintona!)nowle"ge" her status when he as)e" her to rea" a #oe at his inauguration in 133 , Calle" On 6he ulse o% the Morning$ it in!lu"e"the lines: 7 istory$ "es#ite its wren!hing #ain$ !annot be unli'e"/But i% %a!e" with !ourage nee" not be li'e" again,7

?ight years later Bara!) Oba a awar"e" her the resi"ential Me"al o% >ree"o ,

+hortly a%terwar"s she re!alle" that Martin uther ;ing$ in the 13&0s$ ha" #re"i!te" that A eri!a woul" ha'e a bla!) #resi"ent in40 years: she ha"n t belie'e" it #ossible an" ha" su##orte" illary Clinton s bi" %or the 9e o!rati! no ination Dthe two were long-stan"ing %rien"sE,

6hroughout her li%e she was a su#erb #hrase- a)er$ on the #age an" in the %lesh, +he ha" the )na!) o% s#ea)ing - in the +outhern

a!!ent she retaine" all her li%e an" with a !hara!teristi! slow$ "eliberate "eli'ery - in !o #lete an" gra ati!ally #er%e!t senten!es,

+he was a !o an"ing %igure$ stan"ing si( %eet tall$ an" i ensely stri)ing, O% all her a!hie'e ents$ #erha#s the ost i #ressi'ewas her own !hara!ter, i%e$ she belie'e"$ was to be li'e", 76he e(!ite ent is not

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ust to sur'i'e$7 she on!e sai"$ 7but to thri'e$ an" to thri'e with so e #assion$ so e !o #assion$ so e hu our an" so e style,7

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Author Maya Angelou "ies age" 8 & J/news/entertain ent-arts-2=&0&==& K

Author an" #oet Maya Angelou has "ie"$ age" 8&$ the ayor s o%%i!e in <inston-+ale $ North Carolina$ !on%ir s, 6urner e(!ellent in Ba)ers%iel" Mis tJ/news/entertain ent-arts-2=53480= KCriti! rea!ts to +eth ogen ba!)las h

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