Maya Angelou By Gabbmendoza354637283 Apr 4, 1928 Brith She was born in St. Louis, Missouri with the name Marguerite Annie Johnson Period: 1954 to 1955 She was in the touring cast of Porgy and Bess 1955 She ends touring with Porgy and Bess 1960 She became the Northern Coordinator in NY for the Southern Christian leadership Conference (SCLC) where she met MLK Period: 1962 to 1964 She lived in Ghana for two years 1969 She publishes I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing 1974 She publishes Gather Together in My Name 1975 Recognized by Southern Women Writers: The New Generation 1975 Served on Gerald Ford's presidential committee 1977 Served on Jimmy Carter's presidential committee 1981 Worked at Wake Forest University 1993 Won a Grammy for her poem On the Pulse of the Morning (which was also published that same year) 1998 First female black director in Hollywood 2000 Given the National Medal of Arts by Bill Clinton 2010 Given the Presidential medal of Freedom, which is the highest Civilian honor in the US by Obama May 28, 2014 She dies