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Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri.
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When she was about 8, she was raped by her mother's boyfriend. After the mother's boyfriend was killed, she became mute for a long time
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Maya Angelou moved with her mother to San Francisco and worked intermittently as a cocktail waitress, a prostitute and madam, a cook, and a dancer.
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She gave birth to her only son, Clyde. He later changed his name to Guy Johnson.
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Angelou married Tosh Angelos. He was a Greek electrician, former sailor, and aspiring musician. The marriage ended in 1954
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Angelou moved to New York City and joined the Harlem Writers Guild, and she met many other African-American authors.
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After meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Angelou became an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement, and she was appointed as the Northern Coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
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Maya moved to Ghana, where she worked as a journalist, and she was an administrator at the University of Ghana.
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Maya’s first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was published. It became a critical and commercial success, revealing her experiences with racism, trauma, and the search for identity.
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Maya released Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie, her first poetry collection, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
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Maya Angelou married Paul du Feu. He is a Welsh builder, painter, author and model. The marriage ended in 1983.
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During Bill Clinton's presidential inauguration, Maya Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning". She is the first poet to recite a poem at an inauguration since Robert Frost at John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961.
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Barack Obama awarded Maya Angelou with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Maya Angelou passed away at the age of 86. Her influence as a poet, author, activist, and educator continues to inspire generations around the world.
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