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Maya Angelou
(born Marguerite Johnson April 4, 1928) is an American poet,
memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil
Rights Movement.
Angelou is
known for the autobiographical writings I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings (1969) and All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes
(1986). Her volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water
'Fore I Die (1971) was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and in
1993, Angelou read her poem On the Pulse of Morning during
Bill Clinton's Presidential inauguration. It was only the second
time in U.S. history that a poet had been asked to read at an
inauguration, the first being Robert Frost at the inauguration of
John F. Kennedy.
Besides
poetry, Angelou has published collections of verse, and has
contributed to periodicals in the United States and abroad. A
polyglot, Angelou speaks several languages besides her native
English, including French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Ghanian
Fante.
Angelou has
been honored by numerous academic institutions throughout her
career. She has been awarded a fellowship by Yale University, and
also served as a Rockefeller Foundation Scholar in Italy. Angelou
has taught at the University of Ghana, University of Kansas, and at
Wake Forest University, where she holds a lifetime chair as the Z.
Smith Reynolds Professor of American Studies. For several years
Angelou has delivered an opening address to the incoming freshman
class of Duke University. Although Angelou has, in her later career,
received several honorary doctorates, she never received a college
education.
Outside of
academia, Angelou has achieved recognition for her poetry from
bodies honoring achievement in music and theater. She has received a
nomination for the Tony Awards, and in 1993 won the Grammy Award for
Best Spoken Word Album for On the Pulse of Morning. In 2005,
Angelou was honored by Oprah Winfrey at her "Legends Ball"
along with 25 other African-American women whom Winfrey considered
inspirational. |
