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On this day the legendary Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri.
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At the age of 7 her parents divorced and the family moved to Stamps, Arkansas. She was raped at this time by her mother's new boyfriend. Upon hearing this horrific event, her uncle killed the man who did this to her and she became a mute due to the trauma of this event for many years after that.
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She began her career as a nightclub singer and changed her name professionally to Maya Angelou.
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Maya worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the civil rights movement to share her life story of racism.
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Maya wrote her first book, "I know why the cage bird sings" a first of hers in a seven volume series.
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Maya wrote a pulitzer prize nominated collection of poetry," Just give me a cool drink of water fore I die."
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Maya was honored with the Ford's Theatre Lincoln medal as a civil rights activist, author, dancer, and actor.
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Maya Angelou died in her Wintson-Salem, North Carolina home. She will be remembered for generations all over the world.
