Hi My Name is Neosha Davis. And iam doing black history!

   Her Life Story......... 

  Maya Angelou (Marguerite Ann Johnson )was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928 .She grew up in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas.   When  she was a young girl experienced the racial discrimination by herher mother's boyfriend.   She was ashamed to tell any adults in her life she was confided in her brother .  When she heard the news  about her that her unle had killed her attacker , she felt that she had killed a man.  She fell silent and did not speak for five year.    An accomplish peot,an award winnig writer a journalist , an activist .a performer ,a dancer, an actress, director, and a teacher.  She is also a three-time Grammy Award winner for her autobiographical spoken-word recordings. Born in St. Louis, she was raised in Stamps, Arkansas, and then went to San Francisco.  She lives in Harlem,New york  and wiston - salem NC.  In  addtion to her best selling autobiogical.   She was the first women that read a poem for President Clinton inauguration. And wrote a book named that "I Know The Caged Bird Sing", she is the author of letter of  my Daughter;  severalpoetrycollections, including Shall Not Be Moved and Shaker,  why don't you sing? and the numbers of books for young readers,  including Kofi and His Magic; My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken .

                                                                    Timeline of Maya Angelou 

• 1928:  Maya Angelou, originally known as Marguerite  Ann Johnson  was born in Saint  Louis,  Missouri  on April 4, 1928. The name of her father was Bailey Johnson and her  mother was Vivian Baxter  Johnson.
• 1931: Her parnets got separted and Maya and her brother came to Stamps, Arkanas  to live with her grandmother, Mrs. Annie Henderson.
• 1935: They returned to their mother in St. Louis .
• 1937: Unfortunately, Maya was sexually abused.  Her mother's Boyfriend .  Mr.  Freeman raped her.  Maya was very  shocked and she became dumb. Both the children were sent back  to their  grandmother  once again.
• 1941: Maya  and her brother  returned to San Franciso to live with their mother, where she attened  George Washington High School.  She studied  drama  and dance on scholarship at the Califorina Labor School.
• 1942: Her teacher, Bertha Flowers helped her talked again and incresed her interest in literature.
• 1942: She dropped out school  to became  San  Francisco's frist  African- American female cable car  condutor in her teenage earlys.
• 1952: She a   Greek  Sailor namely Tosh Angelos. However, her marrig failedvery  soon.  She  started her career as a nightclub singer.  During this period, she was recognized by the name Maya Angelou.
• 1957:She recorded  a  album, called the ' Calypso Lady'.
• 1958: Maya developed her skills in writing poetry and moved to New York. She joined the Harlem Writers Guild in New York.
• 1959: Maya got involed with the Civil Rights activits.  She became the nothern coordinator for the Southern Christian  Leadership Confrence at the  request of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• 1960: She met Vusmzi Make, the south African Civil Rights  Activit.  Both of them, along with guy moved to Cairo, Egypt in 1960.  In Cairo, she worked as an editor of The Arab Observer, the weekly magazine published in English. Afterwards, she moved to Ghana.
• 1964: Maya Angelou returned to America in order to help Malcolm X build his new Organization of African-American Unity.
• 1968: Malcolm X was assassinated. Maya started working on her Autobigraphical book 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.'
• 1970: Her Autobiographical book was published.
• 1973: Maya married Paul du Feu and both moved to Sonoma, California along with her son. Then she  worked on her writing and acting.                                                     

 

                                                               

                                                   ...You may shoot me with your words,

                                                   You may cut me with your eyes,

                                                 You may kill me with your hatefulness,

                                                       But still, like air, I'll rise.... 

a mini-bibliography

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 1969. Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie; the Poetry of Maya Angelou. New York: Random House, 1971. Gather Together in My Name. New York: Random House, 1974. Oh Pray My Wings are Gonna Fit Me Well. New York: Random House, 1975. Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas. New York: Random House, 1976. And Still I Rise New York. New York: Random House, 1978. The Heart of a Woman. New York: Random House, 1981. Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? New York: Random House, 1983. All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes. New York: Random House, 1986. Now Sheba Sings the Song. New York: Dutton/Dial, 1987. I Shall Not Be Moved. New York: Random House, 1990. Wouldn't Take Nothing for my Journey Now. New York: Random House, 1993.