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Chronicles of Greatness (24) Maya Angelou
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MAYA ANGELOU (1928 – 2014)
“If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning Good morning at total strangers.”
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Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was an author, actress, screenwriter, dancer and poet. When she was born, Maya Angelou was christened Marguerite Annie Johnson. Her parents separated when she was little, so she and her elder brother, Bailey, were sent to live with their paternal grandmother, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas.
As an African American, Angelou suffered firsthand racial prejudices and discrimination in Arkansas.
At age 7, she was raped by her mother's boyfriend during a visit with her mother to his place. Her mother's boyfriend was in turned killed by Angelou's uncles as vengeance for the sexual assault of their niece. Angelou stopped talking as a result of the trauma of the experience. She returned to Arkansas and spent years as a virtual mute.
During World War II, Angelou moved to San Francisco, California, where she was awarded a scholarship to study dance and acting at the California Labor School. During this time, Angelou became the first black female cable car conductor—a job she did briefly, in San Francisco.
In 1944, Angelou had her first son at the age of 16 from a short high school relationship she had that led to the pregnancy. She worked a number of jobs to sustain herself and her child.
In 1952, Maya married a greek sailor Anastasios Angelopulos, from whom she adopted her professional name. She blended her childhood nickname, "Maya," and shortened her husband's surname. Hence – Maya Angelou.
...To be continued.
Maya Angelou. (2015). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 01:07, Jul 29, 2015, from http://www.biography.com/people/maya-angelou-9185388 style="color: #000000;">.
Copyright © 2015 [Adebola A. Ayoade]. All Rights Reserved.
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