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Maya Angelou Research Paper

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Maya Angelou

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style (Angelou). ” This quote in itself is one that is simply beautiful. It is one that everyone can live by. Who is the intellect behind these words that are stringed together so inspirationally? The answer is simple, Maya Angelou. Angelou was born in 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. In the beginning, she was known as Marguerite Annie Johnson. However, she obtained the nickname “Maya” by her brother, Bailey. Both she and her brother were raised by their pious grandmother, Annie Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas. When one looks into Maya Angelou’s life, they can easily be overwhelmed by her countless …show more content…

At the time, Angelou was singing at a nightclub when some of the artists from the company found her singing and asked if she would dance on the stage. Long story short, Angelou got a role as Ruby in Porgy and Bess and thus launched her singing and acting career. She gave performances in a whopping twenty-two countries. Not only did she act in Porgy and Bess, but she was included in plays both on and off Broadway. Included of these were Cabaret for Freedom in which she performed to raise money for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Angelou also recorded an album by the name of Calypso Lady (Winkler, …show more content…

You may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I'll rise. (Still I Rise, 1978).” One can see how these two sentences alone impact the reader’s emotions and will to persevere. Another of her most popular writings is her book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. An international best-seller, this work allowed for the voice that she once lost to become even louder and stronger. This book alludes to racial oppression. This poem is a metaphor for how the white person is the free bird. “... names the sky his own” shows how the white man names everything his own as if he is entitled to it. The caged bird are the black people who face daily oppression. They are not ever entirely free. They sing and long for the day that they’re equal to the white man. Another poem that puts her activism on display is her work, “Phenomenal Woman”. “I wrote it for black women and white women and Chinese women and Japanese women and Jewish women. I wrote it for Native American women, Aleut, Eskimo ladies. I wrote it for all women, very fat women, very thin, pretty, plain (Winkler, 2018),” She stated. The poem elaborates on how every minor aspect of a woman is incredible. This shows how iconic Angelou was. She was truly an activist for equal rights. Being an incredibly successful black women during her time proves that anyone can do anything that they put their mind to. She overcame oppression and made a way for herself in the

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