Maya Angelou (1928 - 2014)
- American poet, memorise, civil rights activist - known for 7 autobiographies (on early life)
- lived with grandmother until 8 in stamps
- moved back to live with mother in St Louis - sexually abused/ raped by mother’s boyfriend - imprisoned for one day only
- murdered (by one of her ankles?)/ sent back to live with grandmother - she believed her voice killed him (mute for 5 years) - developed amazing memory/ listening skills
- 14 - moved back to stay with mother - first black, female streetcar conductor - first child aged 17
- worked in the sex trade
- became a professional dancer / traveled Europe with an opera - practicing languages of places she visited - became proficient
- moved to NY to focus on writing career - met many african-american writers - published
- Met Martin Luther King Jr and became close with Malcom X (civil rights activists)
- Malcom was assasineted/ devastated and resumed singing career in Hawaii/ asked to organise a march by MLK Jr - said no
- MLK Jr assassinated on her 40th birthday - took her out of her depression (knew she had to act)
- produced documentary Black, Blues, Black,! - African american heritage/ blues music
- wrote TV scripts, short stories, autobiographies/ acted etc. / became a professor in many subjects
- one of the first African American women to publicly discuss her personal life - "write about blackness from the inside, without apology or defence” - one of the major autobiographical voices of the time
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