Maya Angelou Research Paper

Maya Angelou is a leading literary voice of the African-American community. She writes of the triumph of the human spirit over hardship and adversity. “Her style captures the ca-dences and aspirations of African American women whose strength she celebrates.” (Library of Chattanooga State, n. d.) Maya has paved the way for children who has had a damaged

Maya Angelou is an amazing American author, poet, entertainer, actress, playwright, producer and director, historian and civil rights activist. She is best known for her portrayals of strong African American women.

Angelou’s writings are an important historical faction of American literature. Maya Angelou was a well-rounded, self-motivated woman who accomplished many things in her life. She not only accomplished things to benefit herself, but to better the life and people around her. Among some of the many things she did, being part of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s was one of the most

For example, “ In Ghana she joined a community of "Revolutionist Returnees” exploring pan-Africanism and became close with human rights activist and black nationalist leader Malcolm X. In 1964, on returning to the U.S., she helped him set up the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which disbanded after Malcolm X’s assassination the following year” (“Maya Angelou Biography”). She took risks and went through a lot, so that black people would get their rights and be treated equal and she didn’t care what it would have cost her, she got into some dangerous things. She had a lot of dedication to her work and worked hard to not only herself but for other rights. If she believed in something she made sure that it would came to existence. Additionally, she worked hard on books and movies that soon became recognized for her work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which made literary history as the first nonfiction best-seller by an African-American woman.

Leadership and Legacy Maya Angelou Tiavounta Hudson Thesis Even though Maya Angelou had several problems in her life she overcame them and became successful, she became a civil rights activist and she also wrote poems and books that inspired people to become writers and many more other things. Background In the late 1950's the civil rights movement begins,The civil rights movement was about racial discrimination and the segregation between African American people and white people. African American people didn't have much to do or an opportunity to do many things,like there wasn't a lot of African American women as writers.

Maya Angelou is a very well educated and well known black woman. She studied at California Labor School and was appointed Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University (Maya Angelou: Poet and Historian, n.d.). In giving her speech at Spelman College, a predominantly black school, she was very well qualified for the occasion. It is no secret that Angelou participated in the Civil Rights Movement, she was a teacher, a successful writer, and a national figure. According to Thill and Bovee (2015), “Successful communication relies on a positive relationship between sender and receiver”

At a young age, Angelou was sexually assaulted, described in her story I Know Where the Caged Bird Sings as it impacted her autobiography immensely. As she was raped a the age of eight by Freeman, her mother’s boyfriend, Angelou explains a small portion of what took place after the rape, in I Know Where the Caged Bird Sings. “‘Did the accused touch you before the occasion on which you claim he raped you?... I looked at his heavy face trying to look as if he would have liked me to say No. I said No.

Maya Angelou is a phenomenal woman. She rises through all things that come her way and she refuses to back down. Angelou chose at a very young age to be a writer and a role model for many people. She believes that everyone should be treated equally and that the world should come together as a unity. Angelou had many careers but is known mostly for her poetic creations. She has come a long way from where she started and I think anyone can agree with me when I say, she has made us all proud with her accomplishments. Angelou writes poetry to inform and encourage others to carry on through the worst of times. She is a strong, confident, inspirational woman and I am more than honored to be doing my senior paper on her.

Angelou writes about how no matter how many people may try to bring her down by slandering her with words or giving her dirty looks, she will always stay positive and move up on the social ladder. She talks about how African American women will continue to rise inevitably and no matter how many people expect them to lower themselves, they never

These circumstances are often referenced in her later writings and poetry as an adult to empower others, as well as herself. Maya Angelou was born in 1928, and sadly passed away in 2014 (Maya Angelou poetry). However she left behind many great works that depicted her eventful and successful life. Maya Angelou’s poetry was influenced greatly by her difficult life as a black female during the mid 1900s as well the hardships she experienced from a very young age up into her later years. This is reflected in her use of literary elements and her messages of empowerment and strength.

“Dr. Angelou experienced the brutality of racial discrimination, but she also absorbed the unshakable faith and values of traditional African-American family, community, and culture”(www.mayaangelou.com, 2014).

She speaks not only for herself but also for her gender and race. “This extension of self occurs in Angelou’s autobiographies and protest poetry. It is in keeping with a traditional practice of black writers to personalize their common racial experiences” (McGeagh 28). The ‘I” of Angelou’s refrain is obviously female and, in this instance, a woman forthright about the sexual nuances of personal and social struggle. Maya Angelou has been very involved with the civil rights movement. In her poems she really captures an incredible sense of momentum, vitality, and hope. She states that these experiences are “so important for me in my life that it must come through in my work” (McGeagh 5). Her writing attempts to capture and preserve the determining forces, vicissitudes, and ambiance of her own life story and of the ongoing African-American story, which helped to shape her and which she reflects and illuminates. “Abandoned by both her parents when they divorced, Angelou early experienced the twin forces that would determine the contour of her life and the nature of her career: personal rejection and institutional racism” (McGeagh

Many African Americans in the south had many struggles and they had no ray of hope. They lived in an unequal world and started wondering if there was ever going to be a change. Many Africans faced oppression and segregation. Maya Angelou was one who faced oppression and segregation, but she strived to make a change. Angelou had a voice and she used it to inspire the African Americans and led them to a place of determination and success through her book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

“Today, [my wife] Michelle and I join millions around the world in remembering one of the brightest lights of our time – a brilliant writer, a fierce friend, and a truly phenomenal woman.” (Statement). This memorial statement, by former president Barack Obama in 2014, encompasses the feelings that he and many others had towards Maya Angelou, one of the most influential writers and voices of her generation. Over the course of her lifetime, over 50 honorary degrees, including the highest American civilian honor, were awarded to Angelou. She is most recognized for her autobiographical and poetic writings. Angelou’s poetic works, specifically, “Phenomenal Woman,” reflect her self-admiration. Her confidence is credited to the overcoming of

To conclude, Maya Angelou defines the ultimate example of what a woman with powerful leadership and