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Maya Angelou

by Stephanie from Wyandanch


Maya Angelou was born as Marguerite Johnson on April 4th in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents' names were Vivian Baxter Johnson and Baily Johnson but she grew up with only one parent, her mom. She grew up with a very hard life and bad surroundings. Maya Angelou was raped by her mother's boyfriend as a child and as a result, had a silent period when she stopped talking for 5 years! When she first began talking again, she only talked to her brother. She also lived in Stamps, Arkansas. I think that experience is why she is the lady she is today.

Maya Angelou has had multiple careers. She is an author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer and civil rights activist. She is best known for her autobiographical books: All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986), The Heart of a Woman (1981), Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas (1976), Gather Together in My Name. She still continues with her career today. She has inspired many people and is a very big/famous poet.

Maya Angelou today
Maya Angelou today

Maya Angelou is my hero because she has had so many challenges in her life, and yet, she still got through. She is a hard worker. She has a sensational personality. I love all the things she does. She's helped many people and has faced and overcome many challenges. She is a leader for people who have had difficult times in lives. She never gave up, even through the hardest times. She also reminds me of my grandmother, very inspiring and hardworking. She has set an example for teens, especially African Americans. For example, she won a scholarship to study drama and dance.

Page created on 6/7/2011 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 6/7/2011 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.
 

Author Info

I'm Stephanie, I currently live in Wyandanch. I'm 14 years old and I love Ela. Pink is my favorite color. Maya Angelou is also my favorite poet, writer, and she's my inspiration. I love Lil Wayne he's so awesome.