Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelouwas an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, tells of her...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth4 April 1928
CitySt. Louis, MO
CountryUnited States of America
kudos to the educators, athletes, dancers, judges, janitors, politicians, artists, actors, writers, singers, poets, and social activist, to all who dare to look at like with humor, determination and respect
The fact that the adult American Negro female emerges a formidable character is often met with amazement, distaste and even belligerance. It is seldom accepted as an inevitable outcome of the struggle won by survivors, and deserves respect if not enthusiastic acceptance.
If we lose love and self respect for each other, this is how we finally die.
I respect myself and insist upon it from everybody. And because I do it, I then respect everybody, too.
It is not the answer you look for that makes you strong. It's the ways that you take that define who you are and what you can do.
I said, 'Don't worry about it -- I know our culture.'
When it looked like the sun wasn't going to shine any more, there's a rainbow in the clouds,
Look at my life. I'm floating like mercury around the earth. My footprints shine with stardust. All because I love you. All because you love me.
I was thinking about that, about the journeys in the film, journey to the roots, journey to the heart. We're all on journeys.
I think music is one of the hero/sheroes of the African-American existence.
My mom was a terrible parent of young children. And thank God - I thank God every time I think of it - I was sent to my paternal grandmother. Ah, but my mother was a great parent of a young adult.
Autobiography is awfully seductive; it's wonderful. Once I got into it, I realized I was following a tradition established by Frederick Douglass - the slave narrative - speaking in the first-person singular, talking about the first-person plural, always saying 'I,' meaning 'we.'
Though I do manage to mumble around in about seven or eight languages, English remains the most beautiful of languages. It will do anything.
I've conducted the Boston Pops! Imagine that! Me! Maya Angelou! I've sang and danced at La Scala!