Before her death in 2014, Maya Angelou was one of the greatest American poets and civil rights activists, but where did she grow up?
Maya Angelou was born in St Louis but spent her upbringing between Missouri, Arkansas and California. When she entered adulthood, Maya Angelou relocated to San Francisco and then New York, among other places.
Read on to learn more about Maya Angelou’s fascinating life story.
A Storied Life
Maya Angelou’s life is extremely well documented, owing to her time in the spotlight. Throughout her life, she’s done it all: poet, writer, activist, cook, dancer, journalist and actress. Angelou was a deeply respected and highly awarded individual.
By the time of her death, Angelou had led a career that had spanned more than fifty years. She was an iconic figure among the academic, receiving over fifty honorary degrees in various subjects.
Owing to her upbringing in the south at the height of segregation, Angelou became an outspoken and revered activist. She fought relentlessly for the rights of the oppressed, working with Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X.
Her life is detailed at length through seven autobiographies, the first being published in 1969. These books have been bestsellers, and are renowned among the literary world. Her work culminated in an extremely high honor in 2011, when Angelou was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1928. It was a very difficult time for African Americans, and would continue to be so for many decades to come. Even then, St. Louis was a bustling city, being as it was the capital of Missouri.
Unfortunately, Angelou’s troubles would start very young. Whilst just a toddler, her parents separated and moved apart. Her father decided to ship her and her brother, Bailey, off to Arkansas to live with their paternal grandmother.
As she transitioned through childhood, Angelou witnessed the discrimination and abuse brought on in the Jim Crow south. She was subject to the then commonplace slurs, and derogation on a daily basis.
The tragedy would continue as she grew up, being raped as a child. While the event was deeply traumatizing, Angelou didn’t let it define or shape her into her adult years. She would fight on, eventually develop an activist mindset, and kick-start a legendary career.
However, that’s not to say that the event didn’t temporarily impact her. Reportedly, Maya’s uncles avenged her by killing the man who had abused her. She believed that she had caused the death of this man, and went around five years speaking to nobody but her brother.
Moving on From Missouri
In 1940, Maya Angelou, her brother Bailey, and their mother all relocated to San Francisco. It was here that she began to blossom, taking dance lessons and eventually moving into theater. Her writing began to flow with a vengeance, as she penned more and more poetry.
You can find countless videos on YouTube of Maya Angelou reciting her poetry, such as top piece, I Am Human.
At just sixteen years of age, Maya had a son. She relocated to San Diego, and ended up flicking from job to job. She dabbled with some dubious opportunities, such as sex work, but would ultimately be discovered by a theater group.
This would be the making of Maya; she travelled the world with this theater group. When the sixties came around, she was living in New York, fighting hard in the name of activism. Her work would become world-famous, particularly owing to the fact that she travelled with it.
Following her death, her word is still being spread. Her poetry is still recited, and there is a social media presence dedicated to propagating her quotes and talks. You can find examples of this on Twitter, on her official page.