Maya Angelou

Bio:
Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri) was an American author and poet. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and received dozens of awards and thirty honorary degrees. Her 1969 autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, brought her international acclaim and cemented her status as an integral part of the civil rights movement. Maya broke ground once again in 1993 when she read her poem, “On the Pulse of Morning,” at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration, making her the first woman and first black person to read at an inauguration. In her life, Maya was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony, and she also won three Grammys and was presented with the Lincoln Medal in 2008 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. On May 28, 2014, Maya was found dead in her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She had been in bad health, and was 86 years old at the time of her passing.

Best Known For:
Maya Angelou is best known for being one of the most prominent poets in the 20th century.

Personal Life:
Maya Angelou had one brother, who was extremely important to her and appeared in her work. He passed away after a series of strokes in 2000. She married Tosh Angelos in 1951 and Paul du Feu in 1973. She began her relationship with Vusumzi Make in 1961, though they never wed. Maya had one son, Guy, one grandson, and two great-grandchildren.