Maya Angelou was a famous, nationally accredited African American author and poet who lived a diverse life filled of trials and success that influenced multitudes of people around the world. “A symbol of strength and leadership for the plight of women and the underprivileged throughout her career, Angelou drew directly from her extensive life experiences to compose her most acclaimed work, a multivolume autobiography that traces the foundations of her identity as a 20th- century American black woman”(Maya Angelou Contemporary). Her real name is Marguerite Annie Johnson. She was born on April 4, 1928 in St Louis, Missouri to Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter. Maya was the second child in her family and had an older brother, Bailey Jr. She
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Vivian introduced Maya and her brother to a whole new world, far different from Stamps, Arkansas. Vivian was a performer, ran numbers, and owned a boarding house, where different people would come in out and out all the time. Vivian always encouraged Maya to do things and never give up on what she wanted. She pushed Maya to get a job during the school year as a streetcar collector. Maya attended George Washington High School and California Labor School taking up drama and dance classes. She would visit her father during the summer, which didn’t end all too well. His girlfriend and Maya had quite a few arguments that led to her running away and living amongst homeless children for about a month. Quoted in Bloom, she says in Caged Bird that the children 's "own natural brotherhood set a tone of tolerance for my life” (Maya Angelou Notable). Shortly after graduating from high school, Maya gave birth to her illegitimate son, Clyde Johnson. Several incidents contributed to Maya’s growth of maturity from a child to an adult. Not only homelessness, but also becoming the “first streetcar collector in San Francisco” and the most important was the “unplanned pregnancy and motherhood at age sixteen” (Maya Angelou Notable). Maya soon began actively grasping for true
Vivian introduced Maya and her brother to a whole new world, far different from Stamps, Arkansas. Vivian was a performer, ran numbers, and owned a boarding house, where different people would come in out and out all the time. Vivian always encouraged Maya to do things and never give up on what she wanted. She pushed Maya to get a job during the school year as a streetcar collector. Maya attended George Washington High School and California Labor School taking up drama and dance classes. She would visit her father during the summer, which didn’t end all too well. His girlfriend and Maya had quite a few arguments that led to her running away and living amongst homeless children for about a month. Quoted in Bloom, she says in Caged Bird that the children 's "own natural brotherhood set a tone of tolerance for my life” (Maya Angelou Notable). Shortly after graduating from high school, Maya gave birth to her illegitimate son, Clyde Johnson. Several incidents contributed to Maya’s growth of maturity from a child to an adult. Not only homelessness, but also becoming the “first streetcar collector in San Francisco” and the most important was the “unplanned pregnancy and motherhood at age sixteen” (Maya Angelou Notable). Maya soon began actively grasping for true