Maya Angelou Accomplishments

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Recommended: Maya Angelou's young life

Ashby Holmes
English 102
Professor Carlson
May 5, 2014

The Outstanding Life of Maya Angelou: Through Hardships, Becoming Successful
The inspirational Marguerite Ann Johnson, better known as Ms. Maya Angelo was born on April 4, 1928 to her parents Bailey and Vivian Baxter Johnson. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Maya’s parents soon divorced when she was only three years old, resulting in her and her brother Bailey Johnson Jr. moving and staying with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. (Change-maker in black history: Maya Angelou). Her grandmother Annie Henderson was one of the most important, a pious woman who ran a general store in Stamps, Arkansas. (Moore, 1) Young Maya often dreamed about being a pretty little white girl and how she wished her hair was transitioned from her nappy roots to long, silky blonde. Her grandmother however instilled the importance of being proud of your race. Living during this time it was very common to want a better life of course, but this was one of the first known racial encounter Maya faced. Upon moving back to her mother at the age of eight, tragically, Ms. Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Revealing her rapist resulted in her uncles taking matters in to their own hands, which also resulted in the death of her mother’s boyfriend. By acknowledging the power of her tongue, this tragic encountered her to go mute for about five years. (Global Renaissance Woman) Mrs. Bertha Flowers was who was acknowledged and worked with Maya to speak again at the age of thirteen.
Maya and her family then soon moved to San Francisco in 1940, where she discovered her love for the arts. Maya attended Mission High School where she won a scholarship to study dance and drama at San Francisco Labor ...

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... just makes it more elegant. She presented herself as a queen and expects others to follow in her footstep. Her many accomplishments and the awards are just touchable proof what anyone can do. In becoming the first cable conductor added on to her ancestors and their work. The many books, poems, plays, and even speeches she presented were work of her own and knowledge. (Global Renaissance Woman) Being able to travel abroad and get a broader understand of life just made here wiser. She saw just about everything you can imagine. Her wisdom just helped her work to become unique, and easier to understand. She had no one to impressed, this done during her lifetime were all chosen by her.
Ms. Maya Angelou is the true definition of a strong, educated black woman. All of the people she worked with and for could say the same thing, and be very proud to speak in her honor.

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