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Born in St. Louis Missouri.
Birth name: Marguerite Annie Johnson -
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Angelou began working with Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote the Southern Christian Leadership Conference through her role as Northern Coordinato
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Maya Angelou was heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. In 1964, Angelou returned to the United States to work with the Organization of African American Unity, led by Malcom X.
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She traveled to Egypt and Ghana. During her time abroad, Angelou became fluent in Fanti, a West African language, French, Spanish, Italian, and Arabic.
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publish year
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She was the first black woman to write a screenplay for a major film release. Georgia, a Swedish-American drama that would later be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
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appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the National Commission on the Observance of International Woman's Year.
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And Still I Rise is a soaring collection of poetry published in 1978. In her poems about overcoming hardship and finding joy in love, family, and one's own pride and self-confidence, Angelou celebrates the beauty and strength of women.
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In 1982, Angelou was named the University’s first Reynolds Professor of American Studies. She taught a variety of subjects and in an interview described herself as “a teacher who writes”.
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Mrs. Flowers: A Moment of Friendship, emphasized the importance of the spoken word, explained the nature of and importance of education and instilled in her a love of poetry.
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In 1993 Angelou recited her poem, "On the Pulse of Morning," for President Bill Clinton's inauguration. She became the first African-American poet and first female poet to participate in recitation for the U.S president.
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In 2000, Angelou was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Bill Clinton.
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Angelou was bestowed the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom the following year by President Barack Obama.
