Maya Angelou (1928-2014)
Maya Angelou, a writer, poet, playwright, composer, director, actor, teacher, human rights activist and human being of the highest order, passed away today at her home in North Carolina. She was 86.
Born in 1928, Ms. Angelou encountered firsthand the crippling and demoralizing effects of the Jim Crow South and the overall second class status of blacks in America. She was only 8 years old when she was sexually abused and raped by her mother’s boyfriend. The aftermath of the crime – the 1 day sentence of her assailant and his mysterious death four days after his release- convinced Angelou that her voice got a man killed. She became reclusive and mute for five years, but during those years of silence, Angelou developed a love for literature, acquired a sharp sense of memory and learned to listen and observe the world around.
When she rediscovered the power of her voice, she – and the world of literature – would never be the same.
Maya Angelou wore many hats during her teenage/early adult years. She became a mother at 17 and worked jobs ranging from fry cook, dancer, actress, singer to madam and prostitute to support herself and her son. Angelou moved to New York in 1959 and joined The Harlem Writers Guild, standing alongside some of the great writers of her (or any) time. She entered the political arena in 1960, becoming a staunch supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and becoming the Northern Coordinator for The Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Her involvement with South African freedom fighter Vusumzi Make took her and her son to Africa, where she edited various publications, wrote and broadcast for Radio Ghana and made a return to the theater. It was also during her expatriate years in Africa where she became friends with Malcolm X. Angelou returned to the U.S. to help him build The Organization Of Afro-African Unity, but after Malcolm’s assassination, she re-located to Hawaii, then to Los Angeles, where she witnessed the Watts riots and re-focused on her writing career.
1968 marked a turning point for Maya Angelou. Her friend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4th (which was also her 40th birthday). Despite dealing with grief and depression, Angelou wrote, produced and narrated the 10 part documentary series ‘Black, Blues, Black’, which traced the connection between the blues and Black Americans’ African heritage. With strong encouragement from longtime friend James Baldwin, Angelou began work on her first autobiography. Released in 1969, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings told a different kind of coming of age story. With unflinching accounts with dealing with racism, rape, identity, and sexuality, the book rocked the literary world to its core. A landmark in American literature, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings became an international best-seller and, despite being banned in several forums, remains in print 45 years after its release.
Despite the global success of the book, Maya Angelou never rested on her laurels. She published six more memoirs, wrote short stories and several volumes of poetry; taught and lectured at some of the most respected universities and colleges worldwide; received over 30 honorary doctoral degrees; became fluent in several languages; became the first Black woman to have a screenplay developed for the screen (1972’s Georgia Georgia) and one of the few women of color to direct a major motion picture (1998’s Down In The Delta); acted in several theater productions (including a Tony Award nomination for her role in Look Away) and on the groundbreaking mini-series Roots. Along the way, Angelou served as a mentor to several writers In 1977, Angelou befriended and mentored a young Baltimore TV anchor named Oprah Winfrey, and, well, you know the rest.
In 1993, Maya Angelou was introduced to a new generation of readers when she read her poem, ‘On The Pulse Of The Morning’ at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Written specifically for the event, the recording won a Grammy award and its subsequent publication became a best seller. In 1995, Angelou also was commissioned by The United Nations to write and recite ‘A Brave And Startling Truth’ to commemorate its 50th Anniversary. She was also awarded The Presidential Metal Of Freedom by President Obama in 2011.
Maya Angelou’s legacy will live on through the scores of books, essays, short stories, music and plays that she has written through the years. She also donated her personal papers and archives to The Schomburg Center For Research In Black Culture in 2010, so expect a series of retrospectives and exhibitions in the near future.
Maya Angelou once said that she hoped ‘to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return’.
Mission accomplished Miss Maya. You gave us much love and, in turn, returned that love to you. Rest in power.
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