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Birth
Maya Angelou was born on Apr. 1928. She was and grew up in Johnson, St.louis. Her parents were Bailey and Vivan Johnson. -
Parent Divorce
parents sent her and her brother to live with their grandmother. Sent them there because of racism at the time. Their Grandmothers name is Annie Henderson. -
Parents take kids back
Maya worked ata general store when father came in. He told them that they could come back with him and their mom. So then her and her brother returned to St.lois that year. -
Abused
Two years later abused by mother's Boyfriend. Maya confessed to her brother later on about being abused. Boyfriend was later murdered by Angelou's uncles. -
Sent back
Her and her brother where sent bck to live with grandmother. I t was because of the hard time the mother had with the boyfriend. A friend of the grandmother helped Maya speak again. -
Learning dance and drama
That year she attended GEorge Washington High. She learned dance and drama. Her grandma's friend also helped with teaching her about artists aand poets. -
Returned once again
Her and her brother moved back in with their mother. THeir mother since move to Oakland, CA because of WW2. Still attended Goerge Washington High and working ona degree on Drama and dance and before dropping out she became the Black African American to be a streetcar conductor. -
Its a boy
Finished school at Geoge Wash. High at the age of 17. Then a couple of weeks later she gave birth to a boy named Clyde. She also had to work as a cook and a postitute and also writes a book abouther life from 17-19. -
Married
Maya married a Greek electrician and fomer sailor Enistasious Angelos. She was also part of a group called Al and Rita. He also moved with her husband and son to NYC but then returned to San Francisco later on. -
Divorce
Maya had a divorce with Enistasious 3 years later. She also got into some clubs lateron like the Purple Onion. While she worked with in the Purple Onion singing and danceing she went by many names like Rita or Maruerite but those names started to fade away when her manager started to call her Maya. -
Moved Again!
moved to NY to concentrate on her writing and for her Boyfriend Killen. She later on met a group called the Harlem Writers Guild and Published a book with them too. She also heard Martin Luther King Jr. give a speech in NY and She and Killen Made a group called theCabaret for Freedom to help the SCLC. -
Malcolm X
In Accra she met Malcolm X while her son went to college. She helped Malcolm X build a new organization called the Organization of Afro-American Unity.He was assassinated shortly after and so ran off to live with her brother in Hawaii. -
"I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing"
She wrote her first autobiography and it was later published in 1969. She also met a very famous cartoonist named Jules Fieffer in a ball she went to. She also wrote and produced her first movie called "Black, Blue, Black". -
Met Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin asked Maya if she would be in one of his marches but later was posponed. He was later assassinated on her 40th birthday. She then was really depressed when the assassinated happened but her friend helped her out of her depression -
Right before retirement
She recited a poem "On the Pulse of Morning" to Bill Clinton who made her one of the greataest poets since JFK's speech. She was also later on awarded a grammy for her poetry and her books. She also produced another movie called "Down on the Delta".
