Angelou, Maya (1928–)

African-American author, actress, and dancer. Born Marguerite Annie Johnson, April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri; dau. of Bailey and Vivian Baxter Johnson (div. 1931); m. Tosh Angelos (ex-sailor), c. 1950 (div. c. 1952); m. Vusumzi Make (South African freedom fighter), c. 1960 (div. 1963); m. Paul Du Feu (builder and writer), 1973 (div. c. 1981); children: Guy Johnson.

Studied dance with Pearl Primus (1952), then Martha Graham and Ann Halprin; joined the touring company of Porgy and Bess; was northern coordinator for Martin Luther King's Southern Christian Leadership Council (1960–61); lived in Ghana, serving as a writer and editor for Ghanian Times and African Review, and as an assistant administrator for School of Music and Drama at University of Ghana in Legon-Accra (1963–66); returned to US (1966), wrote and developed several dramatic projects, including Black, Blues, Black, a 10-part tv series on African traditions in America (1968); published autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970), which was nominated for National Book Award; published 1st volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Diiie (1971), which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; became the 1st black woman to have an original screenplay produced (Georgia, Georgia, 1972); made Broadway acting debut in Look Away, which brought her a Tony nomination (1973); had teaching posts and residency-fellowships at University of Kansas, Yale, and Wake Forest, among others; used popularity to advocate on behalf of feminist and race issues, and was recognized by several US presidents with posts to committees and organizations; offered the Reynolds Chair at Wake Forest University (1982), a lifetime post; delivered the inaugural poem at Bill Clinton's inauguration (1993); works include 5 autobiographies, 5 collections of poetry, and a book of essays, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now.

See also Women in World History.