Marguerite Annie Johnsion was born in St. Louis Missouri, on April 4, 1928. Although this is her full name the world knows her better as Maya Angelou. The mention of her name brings to mind a wide array of accomplishments, she is best known for being an author of books and poems but that is only the surface. Angelou has not only writer but a dancer actress and an great advocate of civil and womens rights.
She has published five autobigraphical sketches which each give a glimpse of the life her path has taken over the years (Lupton 4).
The first of the five is I know why the caged bird sings. This focuses on Angelous life as a child. When she was three and her brother Bailey was four they were shipped to live with their grandmother, affectionlately known as mama in Stamps Arkansas.( Angelou 3). Stamps seems to be one of the defining points of Angelous life, it is here that she begins to learn about life and see first hand what it was like to grow up black. She is surrounded by her people and faced each day with the struggles and hardships of being black. This book covers such trials as when her and Bailey are retrieved by their father and moved to live with their mother in St. Louis. Maya is eight at this point and during this stay in St. Louis is raped by her mothers boyfriend. This event impacted with the death of the rapist because of her words would result in silenccing her for many years (Lupton 5).
It is at this point that her and Bailey return to stamps, several caring individuals come into and impact Mayas life over the next few years and slowley help her to get past her silence and recover from the trajedy she faced in St. Louis. Upon her graduation from eight grade her and Bailey move once again, this time to San Fransico to live with their mother. Life changes for Angelou at this point, Baily begins to separate himself from her and a change seems to start to occur. She remains in Califorina to the concluson of her book at age sixteen. At this time the little girl we saw in Stamps is replaced by a women who has made some great achievements. Not only has she graduated from High School but she is the first black ticket made on the San Fransico trolley. Beyond that in the last few pages she finds herself pregnant and about to give birth to a son (6,7).
This first book gives us a look at the foundation which gave Maya Angelou the roots which have carried her through to where she is today. A grandmother and Uncle who instilled how importatn work and an education was, not to mention religion. As well as a mother who showed them fun. Angelou knew at a young age more about life than some of us will ever know. Although she seems innocent and uninhibited her honesty and willingness to share her pain is more than most can ever accomplish.
The next book in her autobiography is Gather Together In My Name. (1974) This book begins in the late 1940's at which time Angelou is fighting to put her life back together and get over a period of drugs, prostitution and dependancy. Much of this book focuses on mothering and the struggles and joys she faces in raising her son Guy. When she became a mother she was still a child herself, she lacked education had no job and lacked the experience needed to raise a child. However she fights and works and is able to provide for her son. It is here that we see the beginning of her career in dance and theatre. Along with this came the struggle of how to be a mother to her son and pursue her career(6,7).
Singin' and Swingin' and Getting' Merry Like Christmas. (1976) This is the third book in her autobiograhical sketch. This book focuses on the success of her dancing carreer but with it the pain of being seperated from her son. With that came the feeling of doing to her child exactly what her mother had done to her as her mother was caring for her son Guy. The book ends with her unable to be seperated from him any longer, she returns and takes him on a trip to Hawaii, at which time she promised to be with him in the future ( 7,8).