Maya Angelou divorce, married, net worth, salary, affair, girlfriend, wife

<< Back

Edit Mode: Maya Angelou

Email *

If we need to contact you, we will contact you on this email.

Full Name *

Your name please so that we can credit your work.

Main Text *

<h2>Early Life and Cultural Foundations</h2>
<p>Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson in 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, was a renowned American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. Raised in both St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas, she endured racial discrimination and personal trauma during her formative years. Despite these hardships, she developed a strong sense of faith and resilience, deeply rooted in the values of traditional African American culture, community, and family.</p>

<h2>Education and Early Career</h2>
<p>Angelou’s passion for the arts emerged during her youth. She received a scholarship to study dance and drama at the Labor School in San Francisco. At the age of 14, she temporarily left school to become the first African American female streetcar conductor in San Francisco. She later returned to continue her education and graduated from high school while pregnant with her son, Guy. As a young single mother, Angelou worked as a cook and waitress to support her family but continued to pursue opportunities in music, dance, and performance.</p>

<h2>Rise in Performing Arts</h2>
<p>From 1954 to 1955, Angelou toured Europe with a production of the opera Porgy and Bess. She trained in modern dance with Martha Graham and performed with Alvin Ailey in various productions. In 1957, she released her first album, <i>Calypso Lady</i>. She later moved to New York City, becoming active in the Harlem Writers Guild and appearing in notable stage productions, including <i>The Blacks</i> and <i>Cabaret for Freedom</i>.</p>

<h2>International Work and Literary Breakthrough</h2>
<p>In 1960, Angelou moved to Cairo, Egypt, where she served as the associate editor of <i>The Arab Observer</i>, an English-language newspaper. She subsequently relocated to Ghana and taught at the University of Ghana's School of Music and Drama. During her time there, she contributed to publications such as <i>The Ghanaian Times</i> and <i>The African Review</i>, and expanded her linguistic abilities by studying Arabic, Fanti, Italian, Spanish, and French.</p>

[page-break]

<h2>Civil Rights Involvement</h2>
<p>While in Ghana, Angelou met Malcolm X and returned to the United States to assist him in launching the Organization of Afro-American Unity. She later worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was active in the American civil rights movement. Her international experience and deep knowledge of African and African American cultures greatly informed her activism and writing.</p>

<h2>Literary and Artistic Legacy</h2>
<p>Angelou achieved international acclaim with her 1969 memoir, <i>I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings</i>, which chronicled her early life and introduced themes of identity, racism, and resilience. Over her lifetime, she authored a total of seven autobiographical volumes, numerous poetry collections, plays, and essays. Angelou also appeared in films and television programs, and recorded spoken-word albums, earning multiple Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word Album.</p>

<h2>Honors and Recognition</h2>
<p>Throughout her career, Angelou received more than 50 honorary degrees and numerous prestigious awards, including the National Medal of Arts, the Lincoln Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by President Barack Obama in 2011. She served on two presidential committees and remained an influential voice across literature, performance, and public discourse.</p>

<h2>Personal Life and Final Years</h2>
<p>Angelou was married twice—first to Tosh Angelos in 1951 and later to Paul du Feu in 1973. She also had a long-term relationship with South African freedom fighter Vusumzi Make, though they never married. Angelou was generally private about the total number of her marriages and divorces. Her only child, Guy Johnson, survived her. Maya Angelou passed away on May 28, 2014, leaving behind a rich legacy as a global renaissance woman—an educator, artist, activist, and profound literary force.</p>

Source *

Source you received the information from. eg. personal experiences, acquaintances, web-links, etc

Comment *

Briefly describe the changes you made.

Warning! All fields are required. Empty fields won't allow the form to be submitted and your changes will be lost.
Once the changes are submitted they cannot be edited again until your submission is reviewed.