maya angelou essay

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Ann Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American author and poet. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than fifty years. She received dozens of awards and over thirty honorary doctoral degrees. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of seventeen, and brought her international recognition and acclaim. Angelou's long list of occupations has included pimp, prostitute, night-club dancer and performer, cast-member of the musical Porgy and Bess, coordinator for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, author, journalist in Egypt and Ghana during the days of decolonization, and actor, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs.

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Maya Angelou

Poet, dancer, singer, activist, and scholar Maya Angelou was a world-famous author. She was best known for her unique and pioneering autobiographical writing style.

On April 4, 1928, Marguerite Ann Johnson, known to the world as Maya Angelou, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Due to her parents’ tumultuous marriage and subsequent divorce, Angelou went to live with her paternal grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas at an early age. Her older brother, Bailey, gave Angelou her nickname “Maya.”

Returning to her mother’s care briefly at the age of seven, Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. He was later jailed and then killed when released from jail. Believing that her confession of the trauma had a hand in the man’s death, Angelou became mute for six years. During her mutism and into her teens, she again lived with her grandmother in Arkansas.

Angelou’s interest in the written word and the English language was evident from an early age. Throughout her childhood, she wrote essays, poetry, and kept a journal. When she returned to Arkansas, she took an interest in poetry and memorized works by Shakespeare and Poe.

Prior to the start of World War II, Angelou moved back in with her mother, who at this time was living in Oakland, California. She attended George Washington High School and took dance and drama courses at the California Labor School.

When war broke out, Angelou applied to join the Women’s Army Corps. However, her application was rejected because of her involvement in the California Labor School, which was said to have Communist ties. Determined to gain employment, despite being only 15 years old, she decided to apply for the position of a streetcar conductor. Many men had left their jobs to join the services, enabling women to fill them. However, Angelou was barred from applying at first because of her race. But she was undeterred. Every day for three weeks, she requested a job application, but was denied. Finally, the company relented and handed her an application. Because she was under the legal working age, she wrote that she was 19. She was accepted for the position and became the first African American woman to work as a streetcar conductor in San Francisco. Angelou was employed for a semester but then decided to return to school. She graduated from Mission High School in the summer of 1944 and soon after gave birth to her only child, Clyde Bailey (Guy) Johnson.

After graduation, Angelou undertook a series of odd jobs to support herself and her son. In 1949, she married Tosh Angelos, an electrician in the US Navy. She adopted a form of his surname and kept it throughout her life, though the marriage ended in divorce in 1952.

Angelou was also noted for her talents as a singer and dancer, particularly in the calypso and cabaret styles. In the 1950s, she performed professionally in the US, Europe, and northern Africa, and sold albums of her recordings.

In 1950, African American writers in New York City formed the Harlem Writers Guild to nurture and support the publication of Black authors. Angelou joined the Guild in 1959. She also became active in the Civil Rights Movement and served as the northern coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a prominent African American advocacy organization

In 1969, Angelou published I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , an autobiography of her early life. Her tale of personal strength amid childhood trauma and racism resonated with readers and was nominated for the National Book Award. Many schools sought to ban the book for its frank depiction of sexual abuse, but it is credited with helping other abuse survivors tell their stories.  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has been translated into numerous languages and has sold over a million copies worldwide. Angelou eventually published six more autobiographies, culminating in 2013’s Mom & Me & Mom.   

She wrote numerous poetry volumes, such as the Pulitzer Prize-nominated  Just Give me a Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie (1971), as well as several essay collections. She also recorded spoken albums of her poetry, including “On the Pulse of the Morning,” for which she won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album. The poem was originally written for and delivered at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993. She also won a Grammy in 1995, and again in 2002, for her spoken albums of poetry.

Angelou carried out a wide variety of activities on stage and screen as a writer, actor, director, and producer. In 1972, she became the first African American woman to have her screen play turned into a film with the production of Georgia, Georgia . Angelou earned a Tony nomination in 1973 for her supporting role in Jerome Kitty’s play Look Away , and portrayed Kunta Kinte’s grandmother in the television miniseries Roots in 1977.

She was recognized by many organizations both nationally and internationally for her contributions to literature. In 1981, Wake Forest University offered Angelou the Reynolds Professorship of American Studies. President Clinton awarded Angelou the National Medal of Arts in 2000. In 2012, she was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the Wake Forest University Writers Hall of Fame. The following year, she received the National Book Foundation’s Literarian Award for outstanding service to the American literary community. Angelou also gave many commencement speeches and was awarded more than 30 honorary degrees in her lifetime.

Angelou died on May 28, 2014. Several memorials were held in her honor, including ones at Wake Forest University and Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. To honor her legacy, the US Postal Service issued a stamp with her likeness on it in 2015. (The US Postal Service mistakenly included a quote on the stamp that has long been associated with Angelou but was actually first written by Joan Walsh Anglund .) 

In 2010, President Barack Obama awarded Angelou the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor. It was a fitting recognition for Angelou’s remarkable and inspiring career in the arts.

Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. (New York: Random House, 1969). Angelou, Maya. Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration. (New York: Doubleday, 2008).

“Poet – Maya Angelou.” Academy of American Poets. Accessed August 8, 2017. https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/maya-angelou

Brown, Emma. “Maya Angelou, Writer and Poet, dies at age 86.” The Washington Post, May 28, 2014. Accessed August 8, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/maya-angelou-writer-and-poet-dies-at-age-86/2014/05/28/2948ef5e-c5da-11df-94e1-c5afa35a9e59_story.html?utm_term=.408fffb9a82c

Brown , DeNeen L. “Maya Angelou honored for her first job as a street car conductor in San Francisco.” The Washington Post, March 12, 2014. Accessed August 8, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2014/03/12/maya-angelou-honored-for-her-first-job-as-a-street-car-conductor-in-san-francisco/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.92c836957f2f

“About Harlem Writers Guild.” Harlem Writers Guild. Accessed August 10, 2017. http://theharlemwritersguild.org/about.html

Moore, Lucinda. “Growing Up Maya Angelou.” Smithsonian.com, April 2013. Accessed August 8, 2017. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/growing-up-maya-angelou-79582387/

Nixon, Ron. “Postal Service Won’t Reissue Maya Angelou Stamp.” The New York Times, April 8, 2017. Accessed August 8, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/us/postal-service-wont-reissue-maya-angelou-stamp.html

“History.” Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Accessed August 10, 2017. http://nationalsclc.org/about-us/history/

Thursby, Jacqueline S. "Angelou, Maya (4 Apr. 1928–28 May 2014), writer, performer, and activist." American National Biography. 29 Nov. 2018; Accessed 7 Dec. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.013.00700

“Dr. Maya Angelou.” National Book Foundation. Accessed December 7, 2021. https://www.nationalbook.org/people/dr-maya-angelou/#fullBio

MLA - Spring, Kelly. “Maya Angelou." National Women's History Museum. National Women's History Museum, 2017. Date accessed.

Chicago - Spring, Kelly. "Maya Angelou." National Women's History Museum. 2017. www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/maya-angelou.

Photo Credit:  MAYA ANGELOU, circa 1976. Courtesy: CSU Archives / Everett Collection. 

Angelou, Maya. Just Give me a Drink of Water ‘fore I Diiie . (New York: Bantam, 1976).

Angelou, Maya. Mom & Me & Mom . (London: Virago, 2013).

“THE INAUGURATION; Maya Angelou: 'On the Pulse of Morning’.” The New York Times, January 21 1993.  http://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/21/us/the-inauguration-maya-angelou-on-the-pulse-of-morning.html Classroom Posters:

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Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was a multitalented poet and author known for her acclaimed 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .

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Life as an performer and activist, movie career, son and husbands, legacy: maya angelou quarter and more, who was maya angelou.

A multitalented writer and performer, Maya Angelou is best known for her work as an author and poet . Her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , made literary history as the first nonfiction bestseller by a Black woman. Some of her famous poems include “Phenomenal Woman,” “Still I Rise,” and “On the Pulse of Morning,” which she recited at President Bill Clinton ’s inauguration in 1993 and which earned her a Grammy Award. Angelou also enjoyed a career as a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor and singer in plays, musicals, and onscreen. She became the first Black woman to have a screenplay produced with the 1972 movie Georgia, Georgia . In her work as a civil rights activist , she collaborated with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X , among others. The Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient died in May 2014 at age 86.

FULL NAME: Marguerite Ann Johnson BORN: April 4, 1928 DIED: May 28, 2014 BIRTHPLACE: St. Louis, Missouri SPOUSES: Tosh Angelos (c. 1949-1952), Vusumzi Make (c. 1961), and Paul Du Feu (c. 1973-1981) CHILD: Guy Johnson ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis.

She had a difficult childhood. Her parents split up when she was very young, and she and her older brother, Bailey, were sent to live with their paternal grandmother, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas. Bailey gave Marguerite the nickname “Maya,” which she would adopt as her preferred name later in life.

As an African American, Angelou experienced firsthand racial prejudices and discrimination in Arkansas. She also suffered violence at home when she was around the age of 7. During a visit with her mother, Maya was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. As vengeance for the sexual assault, her uncles killed the boyfriend.

Young Maya was so traumatized by the experience that she stopped talking. She returned to Arkansas and spent about five years as a virtual mute.

A short-lived high school relationship resulted in Maya becoming pregnant. She was 16 years old whens he delivered her son, Guy Johnson, in 1944. After giving birth, she worked a number of jobs to support herself and her child.

Around this time, Maya moved to San Francisco and won a scholarship to study dance and acting at the California Labor School. She also became the first Black female cable car conductor, a job she held only briefly, in San Francisco.

In the mid-1950s, the world began to know Maya Angelou, her professional name adapted from her first husband’s last name, when her career as an actor and singer took off. She landed a role in a touring production of Porgy and Bess , later appearing in the off-Broadway production Calypso Heat Wave (1957) and releasing her first album, Miss Calypso (1957).

A member of the Harlem Writers Guild and a civil rights activist , Angelou organized and starred in the musical revue Cabaret for Freedom as a benefit for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which Martin Luther King Jr. helped found before becoming its first president. Angelou also served as the SCLC’s northern coordinator and became a close to King.

In 1961, Angelou appeared in an off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks with James Earl Jones , Lou Gossett Jr., and Cicely Tyson . Afterward, the performer retreated from the theater scene for much of the 1960s. She lived abroad, first in Egypt and then in Ghana, and worked as an editor and a freelance writer. Angelou also held a position at the University of Ghana for a time.

In Ghana, she also joined a community of “Revolutionist Returnees” exploring pan-Africanism and became close with activist and Black nationalist leader Malcolm X . In 1964, upon returning to the United States, Angelou helped Malcolm X set up the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which disbanded after his assassination the following year.

Back in the United States, Angelou earned a Tony Award nomination for her role in the play Look Away (1973) and an Emmy Award nomination for her work on the television miniseries Roots (1977), among other honors.

Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Diiie

Angelou published several collections of poetry, but her most famous was 1971’s collection Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Diiie , which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Other famous collections of Angelou’s poetry include:

• Oh Pray My Wings Are Gonna Fit Me Well (1975), which includes Angelou’s poem “Alone,”
• And Still I Rise (1978), which features the beloved poem “Phenomenal Woman,”
• Shaker, Why Don’t You Sing? (1983),
• I Shall Not Be Moved (1990), featuring the poem “Human Family,” and
• Even the Stars Look Lonesome (1997).

Apple famously used a video of Angelou reading her poem “Human Family” in an advertisement at the 2016 Olympics.

“On the Pulse of Morning”

One of her most famous works, Angelou wrote the poem “On the Pulse of Morning” for President Bill Clinton ’s inaugural ceremony in January 1993. Her recitation at the ceremony marked the first inaugural poem reading since 1961, when Robert Frost delivered “The Gift Outright” at John F. Kennedy ’s inauguration. Angelou went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for the audio version of “On the Pulse of Morning.”

Other well-known poems by Angelou include “His Day Is Done,” a 1962 tribute poem Angelou wrote for Nelson Mandela as he made his secret journey from Africa to London, and “Amazing Peace,” which she wrote in 2005 for the White House tree-lighting ceremony.

In addition to her books of poetry, Angelou also wrote several memoirs and even cookbooks. She won two NAACP Image Awards in the Outstanding Literary Work (Nonfiction) category for her 2005 cookbook and 2008’s Letter to My Daughter .

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Angelou’s friend and fellow writer James Baldwin urged her to write about her life experiences. The resulting work was the enormously successful 1969 memoir about her childhood and young adult years, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .

The poignant story made literary history as the first nonfiction bestseller by a Black woman. The book, which made Angelou an international star, continues to be regarded as her most popular autobiographical work.

In 1995, Angelou was lauded for remaining on The New York Times ’ paperback nonfiction bestseller list for two years, the longest-running record in the chart’s history at the time.

Gather Together in My Name

Angelou’s follow-up to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , this 1974 memoir covers her life as an unemployed teenage mother in California, when she turned to narcotics and prostitution.

Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas

Angelou wrote this autobiography, published in 1976, about her early career as a singer and actor.

The Heart of a Woman

Angelou crafted this 1981 memoir about leaving California with her son for New York, where she took part in the Civil Rights Movement .

All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes

A lyrical exploration about what it means to be an African American in Africa, this autobiographical book was published in 1986 and covers the years Angelou spent living in Ghana.

Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now

This inspirational essay collection from 1994 features Angelou’s insights about spirituality and living well.

A Song Flung Up to Heaven

Another autobiographical work, A Song Flung Up to Heaven (2002) explores Angelou’s return from Africa to the United States and her ensuing struggle to cope with the devastating assassinations of two human rights leaders with whom she worked: Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr .

King was killed on Angelou’s 40 th birthday, leading the author to stop celebrating her birthday for years afterward. She also sent flowers to King’s widow, Coretta Scott King , for more than 30 years, until Coretta’s death in 2006.

A Song Flung Up to Heaven ends as Angelou begins work on I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Letter to My Daughter

Dedicated to a daughter Angelou never had, this 2008 book of essays features Angelou’s advice for young women about living a life of meaning.

Mom & Me & Mom

In this 2013 memoir, Angelou discusses her complicated relationship with her mother who abandoned her during childhood.

Interested in health, Angelou’s published cookbooks include Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories With Recipes (2005) and Great Food, All Day Long (2010).

After publishing I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , Angelou broke new ground artistically, educationally, and socially by writing the movie Georgia, Georgia (1972). The drama made her the first African American woman to have a screenplay produced.

In 1998, seeking new creative challenges, Angelou made her directorial debut with Down in the Delta , starring Alfre Woodard. Her work on the film was recognized with the Chicago International Film Festival’s 1998 Audience Choice Award and a nod from the Acapulco Black Film Festival in 1999.

Beginning in 1982, Angelou also returned to teaching at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Over the years, she led a number of humanities courses, including “Race, Politics and Literature,” “African Culture and Impact on U.S.,” and “Race in the Southern Experience.” In 2011, Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In 1944, Angelou gave birth to her son, Clyde Johnson, when she was 16 years old. Johnson followed in his mother’s footsteps to eventually become a poet known as Guy Johnson. He died in February 2022.

Angelou was often tight-lipped about her personal life, and details of her marriages and relationships have been inconsistent—even based on her own accounts. She is believed to have been married at least three times.

According to the National Women’s History Museum , Angelou wed Tosh Angelos, an electrician in the U.S. Navy, in 1949. She adopted a version of his surname and kept it through the rest of her life, despite the couple’s divorce in 1952.

In late 1960, Angelou met Vusumzi Make, a South African freedom fighter. The couple married in 1961, according to Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute . They moved to Cairo with her son in 1962, but the marriage dissolved soon after.

Then in 1973, Angelou married carpenter Paul du Feu and lived with him in Berkeley, California, until their divorce in 1981.

After experiencing health issues for a number of years, Angelou died on May 28, 2014, at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86 years old. A specific cause of death wasn’t given, but Angelou’s literary agent, Helen Brann, said that she had been “frail” and suffering from heart problems.

The news of her passing spread quickly with many people taking to social media to mourn and remember Angelou. Singer Mary J. Blige and politician Cory Booker were among those who tweeted their favorite quotes by her in tribute.

Then-President Barack Obama also issued a statement about Angelou, calling her “a brilliant writer, a fierce friend, and a truly phenomenal woman.” Angelou “had the ability to remind us that we are all God’s children; that we all have something to offer,” he wrote.

A memorial service for Angelou was held on June 7, 2014, at Wake Forest University, where she taught for about three decades. Among the attendees were her close friend Oprah Winfrey , former President Bill Clinton , then-First Lady Michelle Obama , and actor Cicely Tyson . BeBe Winans and Lee Ann Womack gave musical performances.

In November 2020, the San Francisco Arts Commission unanimously approved the recommendation for a sculpture honoring Angelou “in recognition of her many accomplishments, including breaking the color and gender barriers by becoming San Francisco’s first African-American female streetcar conductor, an award-winning author and poet, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and a civil rights leader.”

The monument is in development by artist Lava Thomas and scheduled to be installed in fall 2024 outside the main branch of the San Francisco Library. The design is a book featuring Angelou’s likeness on one side and the title of her famous poem “Still I Rise” at the base.

Meanwhile, Angelou has become one of the historical figures featured on U.S. money . It was announced in May 2021 that she would be one of the first women commemorated with a new series of quarters from the U.S. Mint. The first shipments of the coin were made in January 2022.

The obverse, or heads, side of the coin depicts former President George Washington , with the reverse side showing Angelou with her arms uplifted. The bird in flight and rising sun behind her likeness are images inspired by her poetry and symbolic of the way she lived, according to the U.S. Mint .

The American Women Quarters Program has honored nine other women from 2022 through 2023, including astronaut Sally Ride , former Cherokee Nation chief Wilma Mankiller , former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt , and aviator Bessie Coleman . It is scheduled to continue through 2025.

• Courage is the most important of all virtues, because without courage, you cannot practice any of the other virtues consistently.
• I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.
• The caged bird sings with a fearful trill / of things unknown but longed for still / and his tune is heard on the distant hill / for the caged birds sings of freedom.
• If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.
• We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.
• I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
• Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.
• How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!
• To grow up is to stop putting blame on parents.
• We are only as blind as we want to be.
• The intensity with which young people live demands that they “black out” as often as possible.
• Home is a refuge, not only from my worries, my terrible concerns. I like beautiful things around me. I like to be beautiful because it delights my eyes and my soul is lifted up.
• You may not control the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
• When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.
• Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.
• If you get, give. If you learn, teach.
• In the flush of love’s light, we dare to be brave, and suddenly we see that love costs all we are and will ever be. Yet, it is only love which sets us free.
• I believe that each of us comes from the creator trailing wisps of glory.

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Maya Angelou Essay Example

• November 28, 2022

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Essay: Introduction

Maya Angelou was an artist who had started her career at a very young age. She faced many difficulties in the early years of her life because she was a victim of rape. However, she was a talented black woman who had a unique point of view about herself and others that affected her art and life. She is a Professor, an Afro-American writer who fought against injustice and other ills of the society while she maintained a constant hope and optimism. She helped society by writing her poems although she suffered from rape, discrimination, and unfair civil-rights.

Body Paragraphs

One of her most famous poems was written for President Bill Clinton's inauguration. This poem is called “On the Pulse of Morning”, and a poet had not been read at a presidential inauguration since 1961 when Robert Frost read "The Gift Outright" for President John F. Kennedy’s presidential inauguration (Fuller 7). As an intellectual, she fought for her ideas and published many poems and books. Maya Angelou died in 2014, and she left a wealth of artworks and perspectives behind. She lived a fulfilled life with love, joy, and happiness. Maya Angelou witnessed many social and political changes that affected her art and beliefs.

Maya Angelou was born in 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, where she was raised by her grandmother. She continued in the same line of Martin Luther’s legacy even after he died. She spoke the truth that she believed was right. She inspired so many young artists, shared her ideas, and suggestions with them (“At 80 Maya,” n.p.). This source help readers understand her personality and her career as a black artist. Until the last day of her life, she remained an active civil-activist who never lost touch with society.

Maya Angelou lived as a well-respected artist who was nominated for so many literary awards and honorary titles. Also, she has more than 50 honorary degrees. In other words, Maya Angelou experienced her life as a valuable artist. Maya Angelou is the first black woman artist who has won the most valuable awards. In this direction, her most important awards include the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

More specifically, the award was given to Maya Angelou by Barack Obama in 2010, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom award is distinguished as the highest civilian honour in the United States (“Editors,” para. 2). In this sense, one can readily infer that her ideas and artworks deserve the highest awards. Early writings of Angelou include her experiences, perspectives, ideas, social, and political thoughts. Her political views are valued by society because of her artworks, and her ideas combine her style of writing poems. More specifically, Maya Angelou has a unique writing style and uses rhythms in her poems. Maya Angelou is one of the pioneer writers who used rhythm in her poems because of her combined-short poems with rhythm.

Also, her poems include the significance of social and political topics. More specifically, her poetry includes short length poems because her thought of a poem is that they should be short in formation. In other words, her poem’s length is between 12-50 verses. Her way of writing poems reflects her point of view about art and civil-rights because she writes poems according to her own rules and style.

During her career, her poems have been considered as influential and social because it combines different art sources together that writes about social and political topics. The majority of her poems are getting nominated for the most valuable awards and honorary titles. Her most famous works include her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Mathis 2). In other words, her autobiography tells her journey as an artist from the beginning of her career.

Mayo Angelou has six published poetry books that reflect her life, ideas, perspective, and her soul. She creates her artworks with working different specialists that include dancers, writers, and producers. She puts so many variables together, and her efforts make her poetry unique as well as valuable. She is the first civil-rights activist. Therefore, her poems and books discuss social and political issues because she aims to create awareness of these problems. Maya Angelou wants to present solutions for these problems. Her deep analytical thinking ability creates a mirror that reflects society. One can infer that Maya Angelou's ability to create poems is highly affected by social and political changes. She supports civil-rights because she observes the inequalities in society. Also, her first book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings reflects her point of view about civil- rights.

According to the secondary resources, her poems are going from the excitement of love to outrage over racial injustice, from the pride of blackness and African heritage to suffered slurs (Hagen 1). This source examines her art style and her poetry’s qualification. It helps readers to understand her poems’ criticism. She suffers from social injustice more than white artists. Maya Angelou not only wrote poems and book, and but she also collaborated with many artists who were working in different fields. She worked with a movie producer, and they created a movie together. In this sense, she created a series of poems that are songs. She turned her poems into songs and published them. She had many other collaborations with artists, and they created artworks together.

Maya Angelou Essay: Conclusion

In conclusion, Maya Angelou was a well- respected artist who won many important awards and honorary titles. She is one of the most valuable artists both in the 20th century and the 21st century. She has inspired so many young artists. She fought for her ideas, and personal believes that was right to her and the society because there were injustice and inequality. Specifically, during the 20th century, racism was a major problem in society because white individuals are considered as superiors to black individuals. Therefore, Maya Angelou's writing career includes these social and political problems. Maya Angelou's poems have another significance than its topics. In this sense, she wrote short length poems between 12-50. Her short poems included rhythm element. Maya Angelou died in 2014, and she had witnessed so many social and political differences. Moreover, her poems reflected the society and its major problems in which she tried to find solutions to these problems.

"At 80, Maya Angelou Reflects on a Glorious' Life." Weekend Edition Sunday, 6 Apr. 2008. Gale Literature Resource Center.

Editors, Biography.com. "5 Crowning Achievements of Maya Angelou." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 23 June 2020. Web. 04 Nov. 2020.

Fuller, Jaime. "What Maya Angelou Wrote and Said about Race and Politics." The Washington Post. WP Company, 26 Apr. 2019. Web. 04 Nov. 2020.

Mathis, Andrew E. “Angelou, Maya.” Encyclopedia of American Poetry, 2-Volume Set, Second Edition, Facts On File, 2013. Bloom's Literature.

Hagen, Lyman B. "Poetry: Something About Everything." Poetry Criticism, edited by Ellen McGeagh, vol. 32, Gale, 2001. Gale Literature Resource Center.

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The New York Public Library

Archives & manuscripts, maya angelou papers 1927 - 2009 [bulk 1961 - 2009].

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Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was one of the most renowned and celebrated voices in American literature. The Maya Angelou papers consist of original manuscripts, computer generated typescripts, galleys, and proofs of published work as well as manuscripts for unpublished work and dozens of poems. Additionally, there is personal and professional correspondence, teaching files, printed matter, and materials from public and academic appearances and engagements.

Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was one of the most renowned and celebrated voices in American literature. She was a poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, dancer, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.

In the mid-fifties, Angelou toured Europe with a production of the opera Porgy and Bess . She studied modern dance with Martha Graham, danced with Alvin Ailey on television variety shows and, in 1957, recorded her first album, Calypso Lady . In 1958, she moved to New York, where she joined the Harlem Writers Guild, acted in the historic Off-Broadway production of Jean Genet's The Blacks and wrote and performed Cabaret for Freedom . She also worked for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), under Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership. In the early 1960s, she moved with her son to Africa, where she lived and worked for various news outlets, as a journalist, in Egypt and Ghana. Inspired by James Baldwin to write her story, Angelou published her first book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) to international acclaim and enormous popular success. Her published verse, non-fiction, and fiction include more than 30 bestselling titles, such as Gather Together in My Name (1974), And Still I Rise (1978), and I Shall Not Be Moved (1990). Among her accomplishments, Angelou wrote the screenplay and composed the score for the 1972 film Georgia, Georgia . Her script, the first by an African American woman ever to be filmed, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She made numerous television and film appearances, in Alex Haley's Roots (1977) and John Singleton's Poetic Justice (1993), among others. The feature film, Down in the Delta , was Angelou's directorial debut.

Angelou composed and read her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" at President William (Bill) Clinton's first inaugural ceremony in 1993. Angelou served on two presidential committees; was awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000 and the Lincoln Medal in 2008; and has received three Grammy Awards. Despite never attending college, she received over thirty honorary degrees from universities across the nationa. Angelou died in 2014, leaving a legacy of artistry for generations to come.

The Maya Angelou papers consist of original manuscripts, computer generated typescripts, galleys, and proofs of published work such as I Know why the Caged Bird Sings , Hallelujah the Welcome Table , I Shall Not Be Moved , A Song Flung Up to Heaven , Heart of a Woman , and All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes , among others, as well as manuscripts for unpublished work and dozens of poems. Additionally, there is personal and professional correspondence with such notable figures as James Baldwin, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, Mari Evans, Rosa Guy, Coretta Scott King, Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach, Julian Mayfield, Malcolm X, and her editors, to name a few.

Also significant are requests to read or perform her work at universities and other organizations, and material related to various organizations' boards and committees on which she participated. Additionally, there are office files; teaching material, such as syllabi and reading assignments; and materials pertaining to Angelou's Hallmark greeting card series. There are a large number of subject files on various individuals, organizations, geographic locations, publications, and schools. Lastly, there is a considerable amount of material about Angelou and includes newspaper clippings, magazine articles, reviews, and other printed material regarding her publications and appearances..

The Maya Angelou papers are arranged in five series:

This first series contains information about Angelou's personal life, including items from her grandmother and uncle, such as a will and financial records; visas for Egypt; correspondence with her mother, son, and other family members; and various awards and honors, including honorary degrees, that she received over the years.

This series is divided into five subseries: (1) Personal; (2) Professional; (3) Agents and publishers; (4) Regrets; and (5) Fan mail, the last of which is restricted until 2030. The personal subseries includes letters, emails, faxes, and telegrams to and from friends and colleagues, including James Baldwin, Coretta Scott King, Julian Mayfield, and Dolly McPherson. Many of the items in this subseries overlap with the professional subseries, but are included here because Angelou had close relationships with the individuals before any professional aspects arose. The same occurs with the professional subseries; Angelou became friendly with many of the individuals associated with organizations in which she participated, but after becoming involved professionally. Most of the professional correspondence involves requests for donations, permissions to publish, or requests for participation in an event or performance. Both the personal and professional subseries are organized alphabetically by last name of individual or name of organization, family, or publication. The agents and publishers subseries consists of correspondence with the three literary agents with whom Angelou worked; most of these files also include contracts for publications and promotional events. This material is arranged alphabetically by agent's name. The publishers' correspondence also is arranged alphabetically by publisher's name, although Random House, as the main publisher of Angelou's work, is first. Most of these files also contain contracts. Most of the publishers, excluding Random House, published paperback, revised, or translated editions of Angelou's published work; additionally, many of these publishers requested quotes or reviews from Angelou about other authors' work. The regrets subseries contains correspondence related to event participation; Angelou marked "no", "sent regrets", or "booked" to indicate that she declined these invitations. In some cases, the events were cancelled, and the related correspondence is included here.

This series is comprised of all aspects of the writing process, from handwritten first drafts to final edited proofs, for Angelou's most well-known publications, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Letter to My Daughter . Additionally, there is a large number of unpublished work, including poems, essays, and articles. This series also consists of work by others, mostly by friends and colleagues or from publishers requesting quotes or comments.

This series contains material related to Angelou's professional activities, such as public appearances, participation on boards and committees, a collaboration with Hallmark, work by her asssistants, teaching material, and research material. The first subseries, appearances and engagements, includes public appearances, participation on boards and committees, and performances; this material mostly consists of printed matter, such as programs and flyers for lectures and performances, and committee- and board-related memos and minutes from various organizations. Additionally, there is some correspondence related to these appearances, mostly involving schedules, travel itineraries, and in some cases, contracts. The second subseries relates to her collaboration with Hallmark; Angelou worked with the company in the early 2000s on a line of greeting cards and accessories. The third subseries involves material from her office, such as correspondence from and with her assistants; party invitations and planning; travel itineraries and schedules; and phone, fax, and mail logs. The teaching files subseries mostly includes material from Wake Forest University, where she spent most of her academic career. This material contains course syllabi, reading lists and material, class rosters, and faculty memos. Finally, the research material is organized as subject files, with subgroups created by Angelou; this material mostly consists of printed matter, such as publications, clippings, brochures, and programs.

This series includes all printed matter about Angelou; the majority of the files contain newspaper and magazine article clippings of her interviews and appearances. Some clippings contain quotes by Angelou or refer to her in some way. In addition, this series includes publicity, such as advertisements for Angelou's work and public appearances. There also are numerous reviews of her work, and a large amount of clippings about President Bill Clinton's inauguration ceremony and Angelou's inauguration poem, "On the Pulse of the Morning". In many instances, the original clippings are included but there are also a number of photocopies.

Source of acquisition

Purchase, Maya Angelou Foundation, 2008.

Processing information

Initially processed by Steven G. Fullwood, Miranda Mims, Natiba Guy-Clement, Christopher Stahling, and Fred Sayles in 2016-2017. Processing completed by Lauren Stark in September 2019.

Separated material

Transferred to the Art and Artifacts Division: Gavel and paperweight from President Clinton; "Colored" and "White" toilet signs; Pacific State Association Daughters of IBPOE of W sash; "Mammy" brand label; "Do Not Stand Idly By—Save Darfur" green bracelet; "I Have a Dream" medal; Marvtastic Society pin; National Organization for Women pin; Christmas in Washington ornament; Horizon's Day '90 pin (with Angelou's photograph); "Still We Rise!" pin; Thurgood Marshall stamp pin.

Transferred to the Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division: 3 books.

Transferred to the Moving Image and Recorded Sound (MIRS) Division: audio and moving image materials. For more information, please contact the division at [email protected] or 212-491-2270.

Transferred to the Photographs and Prints Division: 1 paige box and 1 archival box of photographs, mostly of Angelou at various events and appearances (includes two albums from Hallmark events; 1 album from an event sponsored by Oprah Winfrey; various individual snapshots; postcard images from Stamps, Arkansas).

Related Material

Maya Angelou Film and Theater collection, Wake Forest University

Material types

Access to materials, access restrictions.

Fan mail is closed until 2030. Photographs and prints held by the Photographs and Prints Division are unavailable pending processing.

Container List

Arranged into three subseries: (1) Biographical; (2) Family correspondence; and (3) Awards and honors.

Although there is not a large amount of material from Angelou's early life, there are some items that provide some context, such as a report on Arkansas, written by Angelou in elementary school, most likely from the mid-1930s, and financial records of her grandmother, Annie Henderson, also from the 1930s. Additional items of note include a memorial service program and guestbook for her mother, Vivian Baxter, and her brother, Bailey Johnson; an original program for a Parisian performance of Porgy and Bess , 1953; a Porgy and Bess scrapbook from the Israeli tour, 1955; and invoices from Ghana.

Arranged chronologically.

Maya Angelou's grandfather (husband of Annie Henderson).

Ledger containing the handwritten proceedings of the 43rd-48th sessions of the West Arkansas Annual Conference, which were gatherings of bishops from various episcopal districtgs. The proceedings include minutes, committee reports, and financial information.

Maya Angelou's grandmother.

Oversized scrapbook containing a handwritten report by "Margurette Johnson" about the history of Arkansas, for which she received a grade of B-.

Small composition notebook, possibly belonging to Maya Angelou's brother, Bailey, since it includes a partial letter to "Daddy" and references "Margarett". Notebook also contains school lessons and drawings.

Weekly income and expense ledger; only a few records have been completed. Possibly belonged to Annie Henderson for use in her general store since expenses listed include candy, bread, and potatoes.

Oversized program for the production at the Theatre de L'Empire, Paris, where Maya Angelou played Ruby.

Scrapbook of clippings of the Israeli tour of the show; on the inside cover, it is inscribed to Dr. Thomas Mc.Grail, Attache of Cultural Affairs. One page includes clippings of "dancer" Maya Angelou. Most of the clippings are in Hebrew.

The aunt and uncle of Maya Angelou.

Includes the Egyptian visas of Maya Angelou and her son, Guy Johnson; a newspaper article in Arabic with Angelou's picture, possibly one that she wrote for the Arab Observer ; and letters of introduction on behalf of Angelou when she planned on living and working in Liberia.

Includes invoices and a theater program from the University of Ghana, where Angelou worked for a time. Also includes a letter to Angelou from someone close to Malcolm X (husband of Connie).

Includes reviews of Echoes of a Distant Summer .

Will of Willie Johnson, uncle of Maya Angelou. Also includes probate notice.

Mostly photocopies of clippings of Maya Angelou's mother.

Uncle of Maya Angelou.

Includes application material, correspondence, and mementos.

Maya Angelou offered reminiscences and both she and her son read poems.

Mostly includes correspondence from Alice Windom, who organized a reunion in Washington, DC, for African Americans living in or visiting Ghana from 1957-1966.

Article on missing children, one of whom was Angelou's grandson, Colin Murphy Johnson.

Stepfather of Angelou who died in 1986; certificate sent by Vivian Baxter in 1987.

Lists Angelou's fatal allergy to seafood.

Also includes thank you note from Maya Angelou and family.

Program for naming of park after Maya Angelou's mother in Stockton, California. Angelou was a special guest at the ceremony. Also includes a letter and map of the proposed park.

Program for Angelou's 70th birthday celebration with a mock Time cover.

Maya Angelou's brother.

Includes lists of exercises, one of which was prescribed by her doctor.

This subseries contains correspondence with her mother, Vivian Baxter; brother, Bailey Johnson; son, Guy Johnson; grandmother, Annie Henderson; second husband, Paul du Feu; and niece, Rosa Johnson, who would later work for Angelou as an assistant and archivist. Since this correspondence provides a better understanding of Angelou's early life, it is included here rather than in the correspondence series.

Arranged alphabetically by last name for specific family members, and then chronologically for more general correspondence.

Maya Angelou's second husband.

Angelou's cousin

Family history, 1800-2002, compiled by Ruth Love and Martha Brown; includes letter from Brown.

Maya Angelou's niece and daughter of Bailey Johnson; she also worked as her archivist.

Includes a drawing with an inscription from Elliott (Johnson), Angelou's grandson.

Not all of the files contain the awards or honors themselves; many files contain printed matter (invitations, brochures, programs) or correspondence related to the award, tribute, or ceremony.

Arranged alphabetically by name of award or sponsoring organization.

Sponsored by the National Council of International Visitors.

Maya Angelou was honored in 1983; she is listed at the back of this volume.

Includes a letter from Etta Moten Barnett.

Includes correspondence and printed matter related to Angelou's multiple nominations and one win (1994).

Includes degrees, correspondence, and printed matter (such as commencement programs) for various institutions, including Smith College, Oberlin College, and Boston College, among others.

Includes degrees, correspondence, and printed matter (such as commencement programs) for various institutions, including Brown University, Tufts University, and Simmons College, among others.

Includes degrees, correspondence, and printed matter (such as commencement programs) for various institutions, including Columbia University, Michigan State University, and Bennett College, among others.

Tribute benefitted the United Negro College Fund.

Presented during the Langston Hughes Festival, held at City College of New York.

Sponsored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Martin Luther King Legacy Association.

Sponsored by New York Women in Communications, Inc.

Also includes programs from the 2001 and 2007 award ceremonies; Angelou is listed in both as a past recipient.

Awarded to My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me .

Group of sculptures of 25 humanitarian leaders in Oakland, California.

Sponsored by the Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity and Inclusion Institution at Bennett College.

Angelou was the award winner in 1992 but the program is dated 1993 (possibly a misprint).

Arranged into five subseries as established by Angelou and her office: (1) Personal; (2) Professional; (3) Agents and publishers; (4) Regrets; and (5) Fan mail.

Fan mail is closed until 2030.

Arranged alphabetically by last name or organization name, followed by the corresponding letter of the alphabet, which represents general correspondence and is loosely arranged chronologically.

Includes some of Alexander's poetry.

American journalist who worked for Newsweek and Life magazine.

Writer and publicist.

Mother of James Baldwin.

Also includes mostly photocopies of his obituaries.

James Baldwin's nephew.

Journalist for NBC News.

Worked for ABC.

Also includes photocopy of an obituary.

Congressman from Indiana.

Executive Director of the Reynolda House.

Ambassador from Ghana.

President of B and C Associates.

Actor; costarred with Angelou in The Blacks .

Friends from Ghana.

Author and composer.

Includes homemade card.

Reverend of Riverside Church.

Includes speech by Coor, President of the University of Vermont, on the occasion of the Martin Luther King Memorial.

Worked for CBS Television.

Photographer for Angelou's book, My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me .

Includes autographed picture.

Wife of Countee Cullen.

Founder of African-American Dance Ensemble.

Played Zebidiah in And Still I Rise , which was directed by Angelou at AMAS Repertory Theatre in New York.

Nephew of Marian Anderson.

Angelou supported Douglass's run for a congressional seat in Georgia.

Ran for a Congressional seat in North Carolina.

Includes poetry by Evans.

Angelou collaborated with Tom Feelings on Now Sheba Sings the Song .

Includes poem by Finn.

Music executive.

Co-organized with Campbell Cawood.

Editor, Howard University Press.

Worked at Essence and The New York Times .

Includes transcript of interview with Angelou for The New York Times in 1992.

Producer, City Arts and Lectures.

Played the young Maya Angelou in the television production of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .

Member of the House of Commons, British Parliament.

Includes transcript of interview.

Baseball player.

Includes signed cardboard envelope with photographs.

Opera singer.

Founder and president of Black Enterprise .

Brother of Alex Haley and US Ambassador of Ghana.

Includes signed cover of French Vogue .

Includes letter from Angelou to Houston.

Daughter of Billie Holiday.

Executive at BET.

Includes writing by Jordan-Powell.

First President of Zambia.

Includes excerpt from Angelou's Gather Together in My Name .

Literary agents from Lordly and Dame.

Angelou's long-time publisher at Random House.

Although they were never officially married, Angelou and Make referred to each other as husband and wife and Angelou used his name while in Egypt.

President and CEO of Jamaica Business Resource Center.

Reverend of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Springfield, Illinois.

Includes letters from Ghana and copies of obituaries.

Columnist, San Francsico Chronicle .

Editor, The Sacramento Bee .

Includes letter from Angelou to McGraw and Hill.

Visual artist.

Also known as "Decca" Treuhaft.

King of the Royal Bafokeng Nation of South Africa.

Mostly includes phone messages from Moon.

Alderman of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Includes poem by Ochberg.

Daughter of Jessica Mitford (Decca) and Bob Treuhaft.

Senator from North Carolina.

Senior pastor, Crystal Cathedral Ministries.

Senator from Illinois.

Includes letter from Angelou to Simone.

Literary agent.

From the Mafundi Institute.

Includes poem by Tomlinson.

Husband of Jessica Mitford (Decca Treuhaft).

Includes letter from Angelou to Tunie.

Includes letter to Tyson sent on behalf of Angelou by her niece, Rosa Johnson.

Includes letter from Angelou to Warwick.

United States Congresswoman from California.

Worked at Newsweek .

Mayor of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Includes typescript of "Racism: The Cancer That Is Destroying America", which was published in the Egyptian Gazette , August 25, 1976.

Arranged alphabetically by last name or organization name, followed by the corresponding letter of the alphabet, which represents general correspondence and is arranged chronologically.

Includes correspondence with ABC News and ABC Home.

Most of the correspondence is with Albert Nellum, on behalf of his association and the Black Business Council.

Correspondence sent on behalf of Alexander in her role as the chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Angelou received an honorary degree from the College.

Amelan wanted to collaborate with Angelou on a book about Patrick Kelly.

Includes proposal for book by Angelou.

Also includes personal correspondence from Andrew and Carolyn Young.

Includes Angelou's membership card.

Includes correspondence with Robert Brown, but in a professional capacity, regarding the formation of an organization, Coalition to Stop the Violence, among other topics.

Ghana's ambassador to the United States.

Include a typescript of Angelou's entry for the Index .

Includes transcript of a 1976 interview with Angelou.

Angelou received an honorary degree from Boston College in 1983.

Executive Editor, The Washington Post .

Mayor of Los Angeles.

Includes contracts for Angelou's participation in various BBC productions.

Includes letter from Angelou to Brown.

Alderman of Winston-Salem.

Includes correspondence from Barbara Bush and George W. Bush.

Congresswoman from Virginia.

Also includes correspondence from Rosalynn Carter.

Includes correspondence and a contract regarding a Sara Lee Direct-sponsored documentary about the school.

Includes contracts for essays written for Belief in Action .

Only includes letter from Angelou to Chase.

The film which Angelou directed, Down in the Delta , was nominated.

United States Senator.

Editor, Mark Twain Journal .

Literary agent in London.

Include drafts of biographical entries.

Mayor of East Orange, New Jersey.

Chairman, Madison Hotels.

Only includes letter from Angelou to the Crystals.

Includes letter to D'Amato from Angelou.

Includes letter from Russell Simmons.

Congressman from California.

Much of the correspondence is from Minyon Moore, Deputy Political Director.

Angelou was a member of the Guild.

Includes photocopy of Angelou's membership card.

Nephew of Katherine Dunham.

Governor of North Carolina.

Angelou received an honorary degree from the University.

Also includes letters from Johnson Publishing and its president, Linda Johnson Rice.

United States Senator from North Carolina.

Nigerian Ambassador to the United States.

Author of Conversations with Maya Angelou , published in 1989.

Includes some personal correspondence with Susan Taylor.

Founder of Fais-One Productions.

A book on women's spiritual development for which Angelou was interviewed.

Includes Board of Directors' meeting minutes and by-laws; unclear if Angelou was a board member, but most likely she was a supporter of the organization.

Director of the Hay-on-Wye Festival of Literature, in which Angelou participated.

Includes correspondence from various organizations such as the Forsyth Humane Society and the Forsyth County Public Library System.

Angelou was interviewed for their book, 100 Legends .

Includes an invitation from the President of Ghana (2006).

Founder of Kathi Goldmark Media Escorts.

Mayor of Philadelphia.

Stedman Graham was a managing partner of the firm in the 1990s.

Angelou appeared on The Merv Griffin Show in 1974.

Includes academic papers on reparations by Dudley Thompson, Jamaica's Ambassador to Nigeria.

HCCI's first housing cooperative development, "Angelou Court", was named in honor of Angelou.

Also includes personal correspondence with Barbara King.

Includes sheet music composed by Holland.

Record label for Ashford and Simpson.

Includes correspondence related to the publicity tour for the album that Angelou recorded with Ashford and Simpson, Been Found .

An affordable housing organization in Portland, Oregon, with a development named after Angelou.

United States Senator from Texas.

American diplomat and ambassador of various nations.

Includes some correspondence from supporters of Jackson's presidential run and others from the National Rainbow Coalition, which was founded by Jackson.

Angelou participated in their production of McDonald's African-American Heritage Series audio cassettes.

Gospel singer with his own television show, The Bobby Jones Gospel Show .

United States Senator from Kansas.

Editor of The Negritude Poets .

Photocopy of a letter from Angelou (signed Maya Angelou Make) to King; the original is located in the Martin Luther King Jr., Research and Education Institute at Stanford University.

Angelou appeared on his show, "The Irv Kupcinet Show".

Includes transcript of an interview with Angelou conducted by Sister Joan Leonard of the Ursuline Convent.

Produced ROOTS--Celebrating 25 Years , in which Angelou was interviewed.

Congressman from Georgia.

Includes contract for article written by Angelou for the December 1988 issue.

Locklair wrote, Since Dawn , a tone poem for an orchestra, chorus, and narrator based on Angelou's "On the Pulse of Morning".

Most of the correspondence is sent on behalf of the Mandelas; there is one letter written directly to Angelou from Winnie Mandela.

Includes letter from Angelou to McClendon.

The fiction writing award from McDonald's Literary Achievement Awards program was named after Angelou.

Producer of CBS Sunday Morning .

Angelou received an honorary degree from the College in 1977.

United States Senator from Illinois.

Chief of Protocol for the Nation of Islam.

Rainbow/PUSH was formed in 1996 as a merger of two non-profit organizations founded by Jesse Jackson — Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition.

Angelou was a member of the NSPCC's Board of Directors.

Angelou was a member of the North Carolina branch's Board of Directors.

Includes letter from Bella Abzug.

Angelou became a member of this organization in 1999.

Congressman from North Carolina.

Includes a transcript of a portion of an interview with Angelou about autobiography.

John Singleton's production company.

Also includes early correspondence from Woodie King, the founder of the New Federal Theatre, on behalf of Woodie King Associates and the National Black Touring Circuit.

Most of the correspondence is from Odetta's producers and others, but there is one handwritten note from Odetta herself.

The later correspondence is regarding Angelou's participation in a tribute album to the musician.

Includes a letter on behalf of Olsen and a photocopy of a foreword written by Olsen.

Includes a transcript of an interview, sent by George Plimpton, that was printed in the fall issue.

Includes a letter of recommendation, written by Parker, for Angelou's nomination to the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Angelou was a member of the Board of Advisers of the North Carolina branch.

Candidate for Oakland City Council.

Includes a short review by Angelou of Pinkney's book.

Photographer and artist who worked on the Church: Songs of Soul and Inspiration album along with Angelou.

Angelou's manager and president of Gerard W. Purcell Associates.

President and First Lady of Ghana.

Angelou appeared on episode #113, "Arthur's Eyes".

Includes an invitation to Reagan's inauguration.

Treasurer and later, Governor, of Texas.

Chairman of Barnes and Noble.

Includes transcript of an interview with Angelou about reading.

Angelou's attorney, partner in Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell and Vassallo.

Stedman Graham's company.

Some of the correspondence refers to a scholarship named for Angelou.

Includes transcript of an interview with Angelou for the magazine.

Book of photographs that includes images of Angelou.

Daughter of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz.

Mother of Tupac Shakur.

Congresswoman from New York.

Angelou received an honorary degree from the College in 1975.

Includes drafts and the final version of an interview with Angelou printed in a 2001 issue of the magazine.

Ambassador of Ghana.

Also includes correspondence about Sing for the Cure.

Szigeti booked Angelou for his Unique Lives and Experiences lecture series.

Only includes a photocopy of a note from Angelou to Terkel.

Includes contract for Angelou's assistance with the "Hall of Presidents" theme park project.

Includes proof of final interview for publication.

Publicists for Bill Withers.

Used Angelou's name in their advertising without her permission.

Includes a contract for Angelou's participation in a conference.

Includes edited transcript of interview with Angelou.

Includes draft deed of gift for donation of Angelou's archival materials to the Z. Smith Reynolds Library.

Mostly includes letters of support of Angelou after an unflattering editorial in The Wake Forest Critic , an independent publication.

Includes correspondence from Jackie Trescott, a staff writer.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan.

Mayor of Boston.

Host of The Right Side .

Only includes a photocopied letter from Angelou to Wilson.

United States Senator from Pennsylvania.

Alderman of Winston-Salem and later, Congressman from North Carolina.

Includes letter and certificate regarding Angelou's nomination for induction.

Arranged into two sub-groups: (1) Agents and (2) Publishers.

Arranged in alphabetical order by name of agency or last name of agent.

Helen Brann started The Helen Brann Agency, a literary agency, in 1974. She was close friends and later, business associates, with legendary dramatic rights literary agent, Flora Roberts, who also represented Angelou. For decades she represented many writers besides Angelou, including Julian Barnes, Richard Brautigan, Gerald Clarke, Nora Johnson, Stephen Sondheim, and Robert B. Parker.

The Helen Brann Agency handled Angelou's contracts with publishers, including Random House; permission requests; and requests to contribute to other authors' work. The agency also oversaw the approval process for her children's books.

Lordly and Dame, a lecture bureau based in Massachusetts, acted as Angelou's lecture agent. Other clients have included Dr. Joyce Brothers and George Plimpton.

Flora Roberts was a play agent based in New York, New York. Although most of her clients were writers, she also represented a few directors and designers. Although Roberts passed away in 1998, Angelou continued to work with her agency throughout 1999.

As a theatrical agent, Roberts represented Angelou's participation in musical, film, and theater performances, and its corresponding publicity.

Random House published the majority of Angelou's work. The exceptions include her children's books, My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken and Me ; Kofi and His Magic ; and Life Doesn't Frighten Me , the first two of which were published by Clarkson Potter (now part of the Crown Publishing Group) and the last of which was published by Stewart, Tabori, Chang. In addition, Now Sheba Sings the Song , Angelou's collaboration with Tom Feelings, was published by Dutton/Dial Books (now part of the Penguin Group).

After the files on Random House, everything is arranged in alphabetical order.

Random House, now known as Penguin Random House, publishes original fiction and nonfiction in all formats; the publishing house has published all of Angelou's books (autobiographies, poetry collections, and essay collections) under the editorship of Robert Loomis.

Also includes correspondence from Viking.

Responsible for the Swedish translation of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .

Angelou's international publisher.

Arranged into two subseries as established by Angelou and her office: (1) Angelou's writing and (2) Other people's work.

This subseries is comprised of drafts, handwritten, typed, and edited; correspondence with editors and publishers; galleys; proofs; cover proofs; and printed copies of excerpts or reprints of all of Angelou's most well-known publications. These publications include all of her autobiographies (except for Mom and Me and Mom ), essay collections, and poetry collections; most of her children's books, except for Life Doesn't Frighten Me ; one of her cookbooks; and a few scripts, most notably the playscript for And Still I Rise (The Musical) . Additionally, there are numerous essays and articles, including the series that she wrote for Playgirl in the mid-1970s, and contributions to other people's work (mostly as forewords and introductions). Also included are speeches, lectures, and tributes, such as the tribute for the Special Olympics. There is a significant amount of unpublished material, which also consists of drafts, handwritten, typed, and edited; it is arranged into similar subgroups as the published material. Although there is correspondence with editors and publishers in some of these cases, it is unclear if the material was ever published. Most of the handwritten drafts, published and unpublished, are written on yellow legal pads, Angelou's preferred method of writing.

Arranged into 13 subgroups: (1) Autobiographies; (2) Essay collections; (3) Children's books; (4) Cookbooks; (5) Poetry; (6) Essays and articles; (7) Scripts; (8) Lyrics; (9) Forewords and other contributions; (10) Lectures and speeches; (11) Memorials and tributes; (12) Other; and (13) Unpublished work.

Arranged chronologically, by publication date. Dates on individual folders indicate dates when material was written or revised. Some folders are not in chronological order in order to maintain consistency in the arrangement of this section. This arrangement consists of listing the various stages of the writing process first, followed by editorial and administrative aspects, such as privacy questions and book jacket proofs.

The first volume of Angelou's autobiographies, originally published in 1969.

The first box of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings follows the order written on the original folders (I-XI); this order does not seem to correspond to the order of the action in the book, however.

Photocopied release from Bailey Johnson, Angelou's brother.

Includes an introduction and afterword by Bill Moyers.

Includes jackets from Random House and Virago.

This edition was intended for educational purposes in England only.

The second volume of Angelou's autobiographies, originally published in 1974.

Photocopied releases from Bailey Johnson and Vivian Baxter.

Includes dust jackets from Bantam (for paperback edition) and Virago.

The third volume of Angelou's autobiographies, originally published in 1976.

Written during Angelou's Bellagio residency.

Includes original and photocopy.

Draft release form, unsigned, for Bailey Johnson, Vivian Baxter, and Guy Johnson.

The fourth volume of Angelou's autobiographies, originally published in 1981.

Possibly says "Loomis' questions" at the top, so page list could indicate questions that Robert Loomis had and/or edits that needed to be addressed.

Probably incomplete (many pages out of order). Some pages are photocopies.

Mostly photocopies.

Photocopies.

Unclear if these images were intended for an illustrated version of the book.

Includes jackets from Bantam (paperback edition) and Virago.

The fifth volume of Angelou's autobiographies, originally published in 1986; draft title was "When to Blow the Stolen Trumpet".

Includes "No Longer Out of Africa", printed in Ms. , August 1986. Photocopies.

Jackets from Vintage (trade paperback edition) and Virago.

Draft of a short story, which was reworked from an excerpt of All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes . Possibly intended for inclusion in Letter to My Daughter .

The sixth volume of Angelou's autobiographies, originally published in 2002.

Alternative title included, "The Old Ark's A-Movering and I'm Going Home".

Sent to Random House on February 1, 2001, but includes revisions from 2002.

Photocopy faxed to Angelou from Robert Loomis on December 17, 2001.

Includes Bantam and Virago editions.

Includes one handwritten page and two typed pages with edits.

Arranged chronologically by publication date. Dates on individual folders indicate dates when material was written or revised.

Originally published in 1993.

Includes Ladies' Home Journal , July 1994, among others.

Includes jackets from Bantam and Virago.

Originally published in 1997.

Collaboration with the photographer Margaret Courtney-Clarke, originally published in 1994 by Clarkson Potter.

Second collaboration with the photographer Margaret Courtney-Clarke; published by Clarkson Potter in 1996.

Series illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell and published by Random House in 2004.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts with revisions and a dust jacket proof.

Early title was possibly "Yaaupi Utsi".

Includes various drafts, handwritten and typed, with revisions and a dust jacket proof.

Includes various drafts, handwritten (photocopies) and typed with edits, and a jacket proof.

Includes mostly typed drafts and jacket proof.

Published in 2005.

Includes various typed drafts.

Originally published by Random House in 2004.

Possibly used as a resource for the cookbook.

Possibly reworked for a later book.

Arranged chronologically by publication date into two sub-groups: (1) Collections and books and (2) Individually published poems (poems published in journals or magazines or written specifically for an organization or event).

Originally published by Random House in 1971.

Handwritten on yellow legal paper.

Includes proofs from Virago and Random House (for audio book).

Originally published by Random House in 1975.

Includes handwritten poem list, including "A Year", which eventually was not used in this collection.

Includes proofs from Random House for audiobook and later editions.

Originally published by Random House in 1978.

Mostly handwritten, but a few typed with handwritten edits.

Includes instructions about microphones and audience applause, so possibly recorded for radio or TV.

Includes proofs from Virago and Random House (for later editions).

Published by Random House in 2001.

Published by Random House in 1983.

Published by Random House in 1990.

Mostly handwritten, but a few typed versions with edits.

Also includes correpondence with Sid Shiff of the Limited Editions Club and catalog for Angelou's edition, which was one of the largest format editions, among other editions. Angelou's edition published in 1994.

Poem written for President William Jefferson Clinton's inauguration in 1993. Published by Random House in 1993.

Includes reprint in U.S. News and World Report , February 1, 1993, among others. Oversize version in box 168.

Includes versions in Spanish and Russian.

Published in 1993 and signed by Angelou in October 1995.

Paperback editions published by Bantam; includes poems from Angelou's first four collections.

Collaboration with the illustrator, Tom Feelings; originally published in 1987 by E. P. Dutton/Dial Books.

Published by Random House in 1994.

Also includes a Virago dust jacket mounted on cardboard and signed, presumably by Virago staff.

Four previously published poems, republished in this collection by Random House in 1995.

Includes the audiobook version and an edition of "Phenomenal Woman", the poem, with illustrations by Paul Gauguin (Random House, 2000).

Published by Random House in 2006. Most of the poems in this collection were published individually or elsewhere prior to inclusion in this book.

Early drafts have the title "Sons and Daughters".

Includes various drafts, handwritten and typed, and copyright registration.

Poem written, and delivered by Angelou, to commerate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.

Includes various drafts, handwritten and typed.

Angelou wrote and read this poem for the Million Man March in Washington, DC, in 1995. She later reworked the poem for inclusion in Celebrations as "A Black Woman Speaks to Black Manhood".

Includes various drafts, handwritten and typed. Not all of the drafts are dated, so it is possible that these are only drafts for the version published in Celebrations .

Poem originally written for Oprah Winfrey's birthday.

Includes handwritten drafts, labeled "Mother Magic Hands", but most likely notes for "Mother", a poem written for Mother's Day in 2006.

Includes drafts, handwritten and typed, of "Ode to Ben Lear", a poem written for Angelou's nephew on the occasion of his Bar Mitzvah in 2001; "Prayer Vigil" from 2003; and the introduction to Celebrations . For publication in Celebrations , "Ode to Ben Lear" was reworked as "Ben Lear's Bat Mitzvah" and "Prayer Vigil" was renamed "Prayer" and "Vigil".

Includes typed drafts with edits for a reworked version of the original, which was originally written in 2005 for Tyler Perry's film, Madea's Family Reunion (2006). This poem is included in Celebrations , but it is unclear for what the 2008 reworked version was intended.

Includes poems published in Ladies' Home Journal , July 1983, and Essence , May 1995, among others.

Includes photocopies of the poem, which was published in Peacemaker , plus news articles about the poem, which was commissioned by the February One Society. Adaptation of poem published in Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? .

Originally written for the National Council of Negro Women but appears in later publications as "Black Family Reunion Pledge".

Includes various drafts, handwritten and typed, plus reprints in various publications, including The Orlando Times , July 18-24, 2002, among others.

Included in 17th Annual World Invitational Double Dutch Championship program.

Includes various drafts, handwritten and typed, for 1992 poem, which was written for John Singleton's film, Poetic Justice ; also includes revised version from 2008.

Written in 1995 for the "Reunion" episode of the television show, Touched by an Angel .

Includes typed drafts and printed copies; also includes a fax cover sheet.

Written for tribute to Ella Fitzgerald's sixty years in music, which was held at the Universal Ampitheatre in Los Angeles in 1995.

Includes various typed drafts, plus a revised version from 2008.

Written as a tribute to Princess Diana for The Guardian .

Originally written for Life Magazine's collector's edition, May 5, 1997.

Includes typed and handwritten drafts of original and revised version, "Moderation" (2007), and final version of original published in LIFE .

Written for Steven Spielberg's Millennium Project and performed by Angelou at the Washington, D.C. Millenium Celebration on December 31, 1999.

Includes various drafts (handwritten and typed) of the poem; correspondence with Spielberg and his company, Dreamworks; and meeting minutes.

Written for the National Urban League's 2002 brochure entitled, "Read and Rise".

Includes typed and handwritten drafts and a photocopy of the brochure.

Written (and delivered by Angelou) for the 2005 White House tree-lighting ceremony. Later published by Random House in booklet format.

Includes handwritten draft.

Written in collaboration with Wynton Marsalis; published by the Limited Editions Club with etchings by Dean Mitchell and an audio CD of Marsalis and Angelou performing.

Includes correspondence with Marsalis's office and various typed drafts of the poem.

According to an interview with Angelou, she was asked to write this poem by Susan Taylor of Essence Magazine. Scholastic. "Dr. Maya Angelou Interview: Angelou Discusses Her Inspiration for A Pledge to Rescue Our Youth ." scholastic.com. https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/videos/teaching-content/dr-maya-angelou-interview-angelou-discusses-her-inspiration-pledge-rescue-our-youth/

Includes typed photocopies.

Includes copies of the memorial service program.

Written for AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons)'s 50th anniversary.

Includes various typed drafts of the poem, correspondence, and information about AARP.

Commissioned by the U.S. Olympic Committee for the 2008 Olympics.

Written for Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts.

Arranged chronologically, when material was written or revised (not necessarily when it was published).

Includes handwritten and typed drafts, notes, final article, and photocopied article.

Includes a photocopy of the article, which was published on April 16, 1972, and a photocopy of a response letter to the editor, which was published on May 14, 1972.

Review of Black Women in White America by Gerda Lerner.

Response to the question, to which Angelou replied "yes".

Includes handwritten draft and photocopied article.

Includes drafts (handwritten and typed), correspondence with the magazine, and final article copy.

Includes drafts (handwritten and typed), correspondence with the magazine, and the final article copy, which was published in the June 1975 issue.

Includes drafts (handwritten and typed) and a letter to the editor about Angelou's review.

Angelou wrote a series of articles for the magazine between 1975-1976.

Includes drafts (handwritten and typed), correspondence, research material, and final copies of certain articles.

Includes photocopies of the final article.

Includes drafts (handwritten and typed), correspondence with the magazine, and photocopied final article, which was printed in the February 1977 issue.

Includes photocopied article.

Includes original article and photocopy.

Includes typed drafts with handwritten edits, original article, and photocopied article.

Includes handwritten drafts, original article, and photocopied article.

Includes spiral notebook with handwritten notes from 1982; correspondence with Fisher; typed drafts; original article published in January 24, 1983, issue; photocopied article; and photocopy of letter from People Weekly reader.

Includes original oversized paper and photocopied article.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts, correspondence with the magazine, and final article copy.

Includes original article published in August 19, 1986, issue and reprint in The Complete Writer's Workout Book (D. C. Heath and Company, 1988).

This book includes papers delivered at a symposium on understanding evil held at the Institute for Humanities in Salado, Texas. This symposium also was the subject of the Bill Moyers PBS special, Facing Evil .

Includes handwritten draft and typescript of paper delivered and written by Angelou, and book catalog listing.

Includes drafts (handwritten and typed), correspondence with the magazine, and the final copy in the February 1989 issue.

Excerpt from Brian Lanker's 1989 book, I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women who Changed America , which includes Angelou's foreword.

Includes proofs, various revisions, final article published in the August 1989 issue, and correspondence with the magazine.

Angelou wrote each of the essays for the 4 winners: Toni Morrison; Cathleen Black; Nancy Landon Kassebaum; and Judith L. Lichtman.

Includes draft fragments (handwritten) of Cathleen Black and Judith Lichtman essays, handwrittend draft of Nancy Kassebaum essay, and final program for awards ceremony, which includes each of the final essays.

Photocopy of article, which was a reprint of Angelou's essay on Morrison for the Sara Lee Frontrunner Awards program.

Includes typescripts, one with handwritten revisions from 1991, and final article in February 1992 issue.

Includes photocopy of the original article published on August 25, 1991; reprints in The Black Scholar , winter 1991-spring 1992, and the Winston-Salem Journal , August 31, 1991; and photocopies of response letters to Angelou about the article.

Includes typescript with handwritten revisions, proof, correspondence, and a cover proof; written for A Virago Keepsake 1973-1993 , published to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the publisher.

Typescript of article, published in November 1995 issue.

Originally delivered by Angelou at the 1997 Golden Anniversary celebration of the Horation Alger Association.

Angelou's contribution to the Estate Project for Artists with AIDS book edited by Edmund White in 2001.

Includes typed drafts, signed letter of agreement, correspondence with the Estate and editor, and final book.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts and final article copy from the March 2000 issue.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts, correspondence with the magazine, and the final article copy in the November 2002 issue.

Book was written for the 25th anniversary of New York Is Book Country and published in August 2003.

Angelou wrote a series of articles for the newspaper from 2005-2006.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts, two final columns from 2005, and a reworked version of a 2006 article.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts; a copy of Ivins's obituary; and a photocopy of Angelou's article, which was published on February 2, 2007.

Short story, possibly written in the early-mid-1960s, that was later published in John Henrik Clarke's book, Black American Short Stories: A Century of the Best (1993).

Includes a typescript fragment and a photocopy of a handwritten draft, both signed "Maya Make".

Arranged chronologically by date when material was written or revised, not necessarily by publication date.

Includes cast and song lists; a photocopied rehearsal schedule for August-September 1992; and a play synopsis, with dance numbers, for Jim Moon.

Production starred Clifton Davis, Ja'net DuBois, and Larry Leon Hamlin.

Brochure for the play's premiere, which was held December 16-18, 1983, at NCNB (North Carolina National Bank) Performance Place in Charlotte, North Carolina. Produced by GM Productions, it starred Berlinda Tolbert, Beth Grant, and Ron Dortch and was directed by Defoy Glenn, co-founder and executive producer of GM Productions.

Angelou read her own poems, including "Contemporary Announcement" and "One More Round", along with poems by others, over the course of a week in July 1988 on this BBC radio program.

Spiral notebook with handwritten dialogue for Angelou's screenplay, Georgia, Georgia , along with poem fragments, a draft of a letter, notes, and a scene list for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .

Audio script for the NBC series, Positively Black .

Five-part television miniseries for children, co-written with Angelou's son, Guy Johnson.

Sister Sister , a television series written and created by Angelou, was filmed at Old Ship Church in 1979; it did not actually air until 1982.

Includes two postcards signed by Angelou; additional blank postcards; a Lilly Baptist Church program; an Old Ship A.M.E. Zion Church program; and an Old Ship Bulletin from December 1923.

BBC documentary, written by Angelou, about being black in Britain.

Includes story outline draft (handwritten by Angelou); story outline typescript; and shoot schedule.

Brewster Place was a spin-off of The Women of Brewster Place ; Angelou wrote narration for some episodes and developed characters and stories.

Includes handwritten, first, and final drafts.

Includes various drafts of the poem that Angelou wrote for this public service announcement, which was directed by Christopher Reeve; correspondence; and shoot information.

Arranged chronologically when material was written or revised, not necessarily by date of publication.

Two songs co-written with Quincy Jones for B. B. King.

Includes typescripts of lyrics and sheet music with lyrics for "You Put It on Me".

Vinyl record released in 1969.

Includes typescripts (some photocopied) of poems used on the album. Most of these poems were later published in Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Diiie... . Also includes a press release about Angelou from GWP Records, which was a subsidiary of Gerard W. Purcell Associates.

Angelou wrote three songs for Roberta Flack; "So It Goes" was included in Flack's album, Oasis (1988).

Includes handwritten drafts and typescripts for "So It Goes", "My Casual Eyes", and "Jealousy". Also includes the copyright registrations for each of these songs plus a contract with Flack for "So It Goes".

King was a musical based on the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Angelou wrote the lyrics with Alistair Beaton, and Richard Blackford wrote the music. The first performance took place at the Piccadilly Theatre on April 7, 1990; it was directed by Clarke Peters and starred Simon Estes and Cynthia Haymon.

Box 175, Folder 8 includes the Picadilly Theatre's playbill and a letter to Dolly (McPherson) from "Doreen". The oversized boxes 176-177 contain sheet music for the various songs incluidng "They're After Your Vote" and "Love Lasts, It's All That Lasts", among others. Most include the full scores without lyrics and contain handwritten edits.

Collaboration with Ashford and Simpson released in 1996 by Hopsack and Silk Records.

Includes handwritten drafts of various songs.

Faxed typescripts of lyrics for the musical. Lyrics faxed in 1996 but probably written in 1992 or earlier.

woman.life.song was commissioned in honor of the birthday of Marie-Josée Kravis. The first performance occurred on March 22, 2000, at Carnegie Hall with Jessye Norman and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Clarissa Pinkola Estés each wrote two texts to accompany the music.

Includes typescripts of Angelou's texts and the final score book with texts inserted.

Angelou contributed a spoken-word composition to this album of songs performed by female vocalists including Jennifer Holliday, Dionne Warwick, and Patti LaBelle, among others. Produced by Tena Clark.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts of Angelou's poem; correspondence with the producer and lawyers; and a contract.

The Country Bunny ballet was adapted from Dubose Heyward's children's book, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes (1939). It was to be executive produced by Ismail Merchant. Angelou was to be the librettist and Richard Robbins was to be the composer. It is unclear if the show was actually produced.

Includes a proposal for the show, a contract for Angelou, correspondence, and a flyer.

The African Review was a monthly journal published in Ghana. Angelou was the features editor.

Photocopy of the entire issue.

Proofs for the book, which includes an excerpt from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .

Angelou wrote the introduction to this book which was published by Glide Publications in 1975.

Includes correspondence with the editors, prologue by the editors, and a typescript of Angelou's introduction.

Angelou wrote the foreword for this exhibition catalog sponsored by the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento.

Includes photocopies of the catalog cover and Angelou's foreword.

Angelou contributed to this anthology, by Amiri and Amina Baraka.

Includes the William Morrow and Company's book cover.

Booklet published by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation in 1985.

Includes typed draft with handwritten edits and the final booklet with Angelou's introduction.

Angelou wrote the introduction for this book, with portraits by Elliot Schneider and published by Shearson Lehman Brothers.

Includes final book.

Angelou wrote the foreword for this book by Brian Lanker; it also was included in National Geographic , vol. 176, #2 (see box 172, folder 10).

Includes correspondence, handwritten and typed drafts, and a galley proof.

Angelou wrote the foreword for this edition of Ellen Conroy-Kennedy's book, published in 1993.

Includes a typescript draft with edits, dated December 1988.

Angelou wrote the foreword for this book, which was published by Willamette University Press in 1989.

Includes typed and handwritten drafts and correspondence.

Series of poems collected by the church.

Includes faxed typescript.

Angelou wrote the foreword for this book, which was published by Rizzoli in 1990.

Includes photocopy of final foreword.

Angelou wrote the foreword for this anthology pubished by SAGE Women's Educational Press in 1991.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts and final copy.

Angelou wrote the preface for this book edited by Harry A. Wilmer and published in 1992.

Includes typescript of preface, correspondence, and table of contents.

Includes photocopied final version for the 1992 edition published by Ian Randle Publishers.

Includes original program.

Includes typescript and correspondence from 1993; book was published in 1996.

Includes typescript and correspondence.

Angelou wrote the foreword for this Spelman College-sponsored exhibition catalog which was published in 1996.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts, correspondence, and final book cover.

Angelou wrote the introduction for this restored text edition, which was published in 2010.

Includes typed draft with edits.

Includes book cover.

Angelou contributed an essay to this book about the creation of Steven Spielberg's film, Amistad , which was published by Newmarket Press in 1999.

Includes correspondence and proof of Angelou's essay.

Angelou wrote the introduction and afterword for the Limited Editions Club's version of Langston Hughes's Sunrise Is Coming After While .

Includes publicity sheet from the Limited Editions Club.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts with revisions.

Angelou wrote the foreword for this book, published by the Enrichment Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 2002.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts and correspondence.

Angelou wrote the foreword for this book, published in 2000. The foreword was republished in the playbill for Crowns , a play adapted from Cunningham and Marberry's book by Regina Taylor and produced in 2004.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts, a copy of the 2004 playbill, and a bookmark advertising the play.

Includes various handwritten and typed drafts.

Angelou wrote the introduction in 2000 but the book was published in 2002.

Includes typed drafts with edits.

Includes correspondence with the author and a typed drafts with revisions.

Angelou wrote the introduction for the book, which was published in 2003. She recorded the introduction for the audio book version in October 2002.

Includes introduction script, correspondence, and audio recording information.

Celia Cruz's autobiography.

Includes typescript with handwritten edits.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts and final approved version from July 2004 (book was not published until 2007).

NALAA is now the Americans for the Arts. The published speech, on the Americans for the Arts website, is entitled, "The Role of Art in Life".

Photocopied typescript.

James Baldwin died on December 1, 1987, in southern France. On December 8, a memorial service was held in his honor at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, and Amiri Baraka delivered tributes which were later published in The New York Times on December 20, 1987. Angelou's tribute was also published in The Los Angeles Times .

Includes photocopies of both The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times articles.

Angelou's lecture was delivered on March 20, 1990, in Washington, DC. It was subsequently published by the American Council for the Arts in its publication, ACA Update . It was also excerpted in American Theatre 's October 1991 issue.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts; a one-page excerpt of the lecture published by the American Council for the Arts; and the October 1991 issue of American Theatre .

Includes copy of The Challenge of Creative Leadership , edited by Gottlieb Guntern; book includes select presenters' talks from various years of the symposia. Inscribed to Angelou from Guntern in 1997.

This talk was delivered by Angelou at the Horatio Alger Association's Golden Anniversary celebration during the 1997 Awards Activities in Washington, DC, and subsequently published in the 1997 issue of The Forum .

Includes the 1997 issue of The Forum and correspondence.

This speech is a reworked version of "I Rise!"; it was recited by Angelou at the 1999 opening ceremony.

Includes a reworked version (photocopied typescripts with handwritten revisions) for Maria Shriver to recite at the inauguration of Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor of California in 2003.

Includes two index cards with the poem, "Frederick Douglass" by Robert Hayden, printed on one side. On the other of one card, there is a handwritten paragraph which seems to be for a speech. Angelou is listed in the ceremony's program, which also is included, as reciting an original poem, but it is unclear if she did or if she recited the Hayden poem.

Angelou testified about racial minorities in the media.

Photocopied transcript.

Mostly typescripts and proofs with handwritten edits.

Arranged into 10 subgroups: (1) Poetry; (2) Articles and essays; (3) Books; (4) Short stories; (5) Scripts; (6) Lyrics; (7) Forewords and other contributions; (8) Speeches and lectures; (9) Tributes; and (10) Other.

Typescript draft of poem. Unclear if it was written by Angelou.

Written for Quincy Jones's album, Q's Jook Joint , but does not appear to have been included.

Summit held in 1997 under President Clinton's administration.

Includes various drafts, handwritten and typed, and fax correspondence.

Written for the winter Olympics in Salt Lake City but unclear if it was published.

Written for anthology edited by Lissette Norman and Willie Perdomo, possibly published in 2003 as Making Jazz Swing in Seventeen Syllables .

Includes photocopy of handwritten draft and letter from the editors.

Includes handwritten draft and typescript. Unclear if ever published.

Handwritten draft most likely intended as a dedication for a new park. Notes at the top state, "Brick Build MRI Center".

Some of the fragments are indicated as published, while others were found with published material.

Even though some of these articles include correspondence with editors and publishers, it is not entirely evident that they have been published.

Angelou lived and worked in Cairo with Vus Make in the early 1960s.

Includes typescripts titled "News Talk" and signed "Maya Make".

Angelou also lived and worked in Ghana from 1963-1966; many of these articles may have been written for the Ghanaian Times .

Includes mostly typed drafts with handwritten revisions, some on onion skin paper. Most of the articles have titles and a byline that reads "Maya Angelou Make" or "Maya Make". There is one letter, written on Permanent Mission of Ghana to the United Nations letterhead, which may or may not have been written by Angelou. She may have written it on behalf of the man she referred to as her husband, Vus Make.

Wills's article was published in Esquire , March 1968.

Includes photocopied galley and letter from KQED, plus a partial handwritten draft.

Written for The New York Times but does not appear to have been published.

Includes typed drafts, correspondence with Robert Chrisman (editor), and background information on Shockley's book.

Includes typed drafts of the article and correspondence with the magazine.

Includes various drafts (handwritten and typed) and correspondence with the editor of the magazine.

Possibly written for Playgirl .

Handwritten notes in a small black daily planner, monogrammed with Angelou's name.

Angelou wrote a few articles for this anthology, which was published by the Center for the Study of Contemporary Belief.

Includes handwritten draft and typed copy, written for Ch. 4 News in Great Britain.

Includes typed article addressed to Pace Magazine/Piedmont.

Includes handwritten drafts in spiral notebook and typescripts.

Written for House and Garden but unclear if ever published.

Two-page handwritten drafts.

Typescript with handwritten revisions, labeled "version 3".

Includes various handwritten and typed drafts and correspondence.

Typescript with handwritten revisions.

Includes various typed drafts with revisions and correspondence.

Includes various handwritten and typed drafts, plus a informational sheet on the project, which was sponsored by the NAACP.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts and email correspondence.

Possibly written for Hallmark Magazine.

Includes typed drafts with handwritten revisions.

Includes handwritten drafts.

Possibly written for the Booksellers Association.

Includes typescripts, one with handwritten revisions.

Handwritten draft, possibly written for a library brochure.

Handwritten and typed.

Includes drafts and proposals for books, including children's books, that were never published.

Includes correspondence and background information on Kelly.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts of three stories, "Mai Lin", "Manjusha", and "Igor", possibly meant as future editions of Maya's World .

Includes poems and essays that were intended for another collection, To Have the Heart to Hope , which possibly became Letter to My Daughter .

Includes typescripts for chapters 1-7, plus an alternate chapter 1.

Possibly intended for Playgirl .

Includes two handwritten pages, photocopied typescript from Wake Forest University's Rare Book Collection, and reworked typescript from 2006.

Includes handwritten and typed pages; some indications of chapters, so this manuscript might have been intended as a book.

Includes handwritten and typed pages.

Arranged chronologically (not subdivided by type of script), then alphabetically for undated material.

Handwritten and typed pages, the latter on onionskin.

Typescript on pink paper with handwritten revisions.

Photocopies of handwritten drafts.

Project proposed by James Griewe, director of the Sonoma Valley Chorale, for the company's secular concert. Angelou wrote the narration, which she was to perform, for a segment of the concert.

Includes typed drafts of the narration, correspondence with Griewe, and photocopied sheet music by Neil Diamond from the 1973 film on Seagull.

One handwritten page and additional photocopied handwritten pages.

Includes various drafts, typed and handwritten.

Includes handwritten and typed notes and narration.

Two-page synopsis for a musical, film, or television series.

Typescript, with handwritten revisions, for Act I, Scene II, of this "three act drama".

Typed and handwritten draft of a script for film or television.

Eighty-four page typescript of screenplay based on the book, The Diary of A. N. , by Julius Horwitz.

One page typescript for theater or film.

Includes spiral notebook with handwritten script and typescript for film or television.

Mostly handwritten notes and script for a television pilot.

Handwritten drafts, the very last of which is dated 2007.

Includes handwritten and typed lyrics and correspondence.

Possibly written for Roberta Flack.

Includes handwritten notes and correspondence from the music publisher.

Possibly published on one of Reese's albums.

Includes handwritten notes.

Includes typescript and notes on index cards.

Includes telegram from Anderson to the editor of the magazine and Angelou's handwritten notes on index cards.

Includes draft typescript on yellow paper with handwritten revisions.

Includes typescript and mention in Montclair State's Vision , vol. 1, #2.

Includes correspondence and typescript of Angelou's introduction, talk, and discussion.

Includes typescript for message delivered by Jones at unknown summit.

Includes photocopied handwritten draft.

Includes typescript with handwritten correction.

Angelou delivered this address to her niece's (Rosa Johnson's) graduating class.

Includes faxed and photocopied transcript.

Mostly handwritten drafts.

Includes typescripts, one of which is a faxed copy with handwritten revisions.

Possibly written for the celebration held in King's honor in 1993, for which Angelou was an honorary chair.

Includes photocopied typescript.

Handwritten draft with note that it was to read by M. J. Hewitt.

Most likely delivered at Shabazz's memorial service.

Photocopied typescript with handwritten revisions.

Includes handwritten and typed drafts for Rosa Guy, Frederick Buechner, Amiri Baraka, and Peter Perret, among others. Also includes a recommendation for Wole Soyinka for the Newstead Prize.

Includes one letter to the editors of New York Magazine, from 1970, among others.

Angelou was a member of the Harlem Writers Guild.

Includes handwritten notes, one page of which refers to a meeting about a Jo (presumably, Josephine) Baker script.

Includes mostly undated, handwritten notes; these notes include various lists of favorite books and authors, reminders, and contact information. In addition, there are a number of programs from Mt. Zion Baptist Church with Angelou's handwritten notes.

Includes a second page of a handwritten letter from Angelou; it references a screenplay that she has written for a movie to be shot in Sweden, presumably Georgia, Georgia .

This subseries consists of drafts, galleys, proofs, and final versions of other people's work, a heading utilized by Angelou; it also includes some correspondence, either from the authors or publishers. Some of this work is from friends and colleagues looking for advice or comments from Angelou. Other work is sent by publishers, looking for quotes or comments from Angelou. In addition, there is some work that was sent to Angelou as complimentary gifts, while some writing was possibly used by Angelou as research or reference for her writing or teaching (most likely, many of the older photocopied articles and book excerpts). In a few cases, Angelou contributed to the work, as in Michael Cunningham's Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats , for which she wrote the foreword. Finally, a few items were written about Angelou, such as introductions for some of her public appearances, and others were by or about friends or colleagues, such as a review of Rosa Guy's work.

Arranged first alphabetically by author's last name or publication title, and then chronologically by publication date or date when material was written.

J.D. thesis, Wake Forest University of Law.

Photocopied overview for a five-part series for public television from WGBH and The American Experience .

Series of letters written to Alexander from HALC, possibly for a book. Probably photocopies; includes a letter to "Nell" explaining the letters and a chronological timeline.

Photocopied poems with correspondence from Amana.

HBO film based on short stories by Angelou and others.

Includes typescript for paper and correspondence from Amoaku.

Includes typescript and letter from Amos.

Includes first batch of edited copy from Time-Life Books for the second volume of a three-volume set.

Includes handwritten notes, seven-page typescript of chapter 17, and photocopied printer's proofs.

Includes various songs for a musical drama, Bomong .

Includes photocopied playscript.

Includes revised introduction and chapter 19 (photocopies) and correspondence.

Booklet form of Baraka's eulogy for James Baldwin, which was delivered in 1987.

Email printout.

Includes script, sheet music, and lyrics for opera with music by Raymond Wise and libretto by Les Epstein.

Published by the Seek Program, Medgar Evers College.

Includes two versions of the typescript.

Inscribed by the author.

Includes correspondence, revised draft, and reprinted excerpt from Argonaut , new series #1.

Poem by Georgia Douglas Johnson and music by Lillian Evanti.

Inscribed by "Richard" in 1982.

Photocopies of select sections.

Signed and dated by the author (twice) on the last page.

Typed copy.

Oversized typescript; translated by Eric Bentley.

Includes two scripts for this television miniseries and correspondence.

Inscription states, "Book belongs to Maya Angelou, Los Angeles, Calif., 1979".

Includes printed matter on Brussell.

Inscribed by author.

Includes fax cover sheet from 2000.

Includes correspondence from publisher.

Includes letter from publisher.

Campbell was one of the winners.

Includes correspondence, draft proposal, and notes for documentary series.

Typescript; unknown author and/or speaker.

Includes typescripts of various poems with a table of contents; inscribed by the author.

Includes draft and correspondence from publisher.

Typescript of Master's thesis.

Includes inscribed copies of Selected Remarks by William Jefferson Clinton and Farewell Remarks , among others.

Includes signed copy and letter.

One poem inscribed and another signed.

Based on the book by Alan Paton.

Unbound copy without Angelou's introduction.

Includes letter from author.

Inscribed copy.

Includes letter from the publisher.

Unknown author.

Includes correspondence and inscribed typescript.

Includes letter and poem by Dryansky.

Typescript for thirty-minute television comedy; includes various drafts.

Includes letter from the publisher, The Amistad Committee.

Inscribed by Dulaney.

Includes letter from Dumas.

Includes offprinted article and correspondence.

Photocopied articles from The Atlantic Monthly (August 1983) and The College Board Review (Spring 1984), respectively.

Typescript written for the 103rd anniversary of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in 1992.

Includes Angelou's poem, "I Love the Look of Words".

Also includes correspondence from publisher.

Handwritten poem on index card.

Includes typescript draft and correspondence.

Includes letter from Decca (Jessica Mitford).

Includes "A Life of Learning" (ACLS cccasional paper, #4, April 1988); "W. E. B. DuBois: A Personal Memoir" (reprint from The Massachusetts Review , vol. 31, #3, August 1990); "Vintage Years: The First Decade" (31st Cosmos Club Award, April 7, 1994); and "For Better, for Worse", written with his wife, Aurelia Elizabeth.

Includes photocopied typescripts of poems and correspondence from the author.

Includes typescripts and correspondence.

Includes photocopied draft and correspondence.

Includes brochure for the book, which consists of an excerpt from chapter one.

Includes draft copies and correspondence from Cecil Williams asking Angelou to write the foreword (not included here).

Includes review copy and correspondence from publisher.

Includes unedited photocopy inscribed by Guy.

Exclusive property of the Estate of Alex Haley.

Includes script of speech and letter from Haley.

Speech delivered in the Senate in reply to one by William H. Seward on the admission of Kansas as a state.

Includes photocopied reprint and typed copy.

Also includes letter from publisher.

Angelou was to have written a foreword, but it is not included in this draft.

Includes letter from publisher and mechanicals.

Also includes order form from publisher.

Includes autographed copy of book and press material.

Includes typescripts and letter from author.

Includes typed speech and letter.

Inscribed by Nathaniel R. Jones, one of the authors, in 2000.

Includes photocopy of paper and letter from author.

Includes typescripts, some with handwritten edits, of Naomi Chamberlain's review of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (October 1970); an interview with Richard Ballad, ca. 1971; an interview with Curt Davis called "Maya Angelou: Living a Good One", ca. 1974-1975; an unknown interview about Georgia, Georgia ; and an interview with Perspectives , ca. 1975

Handwritten.

Also includes letter from author.

Published in 1998.

Published in 2002.

Includes typescripts of various poems and foreword drafts, written by Angelou (typed with handwritten revisions).

Inscribed by author in 2004.

Includes letter from Barbara Skinner; poetry collection is inscribed by author to Skinner.

Includes inscribed booklet, correspondence, and a quote from Angelou about the book.

Includes typed poems, all signed by Powell; two of the poems contain original drawings. One poem is dedicated to Angelou. Also includes correspondence.

Inlcudes photocopies, marked as "copy 1".

Includes torn page from a book, possibly My Name Is Afrika .

Includes correspondence and paper includes an interview with Angelou.

Includes "The Search for E. Pluribus Unum" and "A Way Out of No Way" and correspondence.

Includes uncorrected proof and correspondence with publisher.

Also includes correspondence and promotional material.

Includes ripped page from a book signed "Love Aunt Marguerite" so possibly from Angelou.

Includes photocopies of various published articles including "Challenge to Negro Leadership: The Case of Robert Williams", among others.

Includes articles about Miles Davis (one photocopy and one original).

Includes photocopied proofs and letter from publisher.

Includes letter to McPherson and typescript of introduction.

Includes correspondence and typescript of article published in World Journal .

Includes letter from Meriwether.

Includes photocopied chapter and letter from sender.

Includes correspondence and photocopied and original articles.

Includes typescript of statement and photocopied article about the case written by Mitford and published in the Los Angeles Times , February 15, 1981.

Includes handwritten song in French, "The Bride's Song", and typed song, "The Life and Times of Dobby", written with her husband, Bob Treuhaft.

This issue includes two essays about Angelou.

Photocopy of Italian original.

Includes handwritten dedication to Angelou from Ohin.

Handwritten music and lyrics (in another language) by unknown composer.

Also includes correspondence.

Includes correspondence.

Manuscript copy without Angelou's introduction.

Article references I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .

Includes unedited manuscript and correspondence.

In honor of Angelou's 80th birthday.

Inscribed by Redmond.

Typescript of address given at UCLA in the fall of 1966.

Includes drafts of poems from contributing editors and writers from various countries and cities; Redmond was probably the editor of the volume, which was to have an introduction written by Angelou.

Photocopy of poem published by American Women for Peace and given to Angelou by Richardson in 1966.

Includes correspondence, printer's rough pages without Angelou's foreword, and promotional material.

Introductory essay by Coretta Scott King.

Includes handwritten notes by Angelou on the backs of some pages.

Angelou's copy of the playscript, probably from the 1960s.

Mostly typed pages with handwritten edits; possibly includes a page of notes from Angelou.

Inscribed by Mela Kumar in 1995.

Includes letter requesting Angelou to write a foreword.

Possibly for Black Women Writers at Work , published in 1984.

Includes letter that refers to the "collection".

Includes correspondence that indicates an interview with Angelou will be added to the book.

Mostly includes typed copies of poems by such writers as Edna St. Vincent Millay and Eva Jessye, but also includes poems by unknown authors.

Form contains a few poems.

Marked "Maya A. Make" so possibly Angelou's copy from the 1960s.

Includes correspondence from Robinson.

Arranged into five subseries: (1) Appearances and engagements; (2) Hallmark collaboration; (3) Office files; (4) Teaching files; and (5) Subject files.

Most of this material consists of printed matter, such as newspaper clippings, performance and lecture programs, meeting minutes, and conference programs. The academic subgroup includes Angelou's appearances as a commencement speaker, lecturer, and conference participant. The non-academic subgroup includes appearances at awards ceremonies and tributes; addresses at various organization's anniversary celebrations; appearances at memorial services; and festival participation, among others. Angelou was a member of various organizations' Board of Directors, Advisory Boards, and Advisory Councils, including the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration's Advisory Council, the Presidential Delegation to the Inauguration of Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa, and the Maya Angelou Research Center on Minority Health (MARCH) at Wake Forest University's Advisory Board. In a few cases, since she was involved with numerous organizations, she was an honorary member or a member in name only. The conferences and symposia subgroup includes events that occurred outside of an academic setting, such as the National Coalition Against Sexual Assault 7th Annual Conference. The performances subgroup consists of Angelou's participation in an event as a poet, actress, director, dancer, or singer.

Arranged into five subgroups: (1) Academic; (2) Non-academic; (3) Boards and committees; (4) Conferences and symposia; and (5) Performances.

Arranged alphabetically by institution name.

Includes Agnes Scott College, Alabama State University, and Arkansas State University, among others.

Includes commencement script from 2003.

Includes 1991 contract for appearance.

Includes Bakersfield College, Ball State University, Barber-Scotia College, Berkeley Hall School, Bakersfield College, Binghamton University, Bluefield State College, Boise State University, Boston College, Boston University, Bowdoin College, Bradley University, Bridgewater College, Brigham Young University, Brookhaven College, Broward Community College, and Bergen Community College.

Includes Cal State, Los Angeles; Cal State, Northridge; Cal State, Chico; and Cal State, Sacramento.

Includes Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute; Cape Cod Community College; Carver High School; Case Western Reserve University; Castlemont High School; Cate School; Cedar Crest College; Central Carolina Technical Institute; Centenary College; Cleveland State University; Coastline Community College; College of DuPage; College of Lake County; Columbia University; Connecticut College; and Covenant College.

Includes Dartmouth College; Dekalb College (now Perimeter College at Georgia State University); Delta College; Denison University; and Douglass College, Rutgers University.

Includes Emerson College; Emory University; and Everett Community College.

Includes Fresno State College; Frostburg State College; Foothill College; Florida State University; Fairleigh Dickinson University; and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

Includes George Mason University; Georgia State University; and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Includes Hampton University; Henderson State University; Hendrix College; Hood College; Hope High School; and Hopkins School District.

Includes correspondence, conference program, and printed matter.

Includes conference programs, correspondence, printed matter on ISO and Switzerland, and a transcript of Angelou's talk in German.

Includes Iowa State University; Indian River Community College; and Indiana University, Bloomington.

Includes Jackson High School; James Madison University; Jersey City State College; and Johnson County Community College.

Includes Keystone Junior College and Kenyon College.

Includes Langston University; Lewis University; Lincoln University; Los Angeles City College; Louisiana State University; and Lynchburg College.

Angelou delivered the commencement address and received an honorary degree.

Includes Mackenzie High School; Marquette University; Mary Washington College; Miami Univeristy, Middletown; Miami-Dade Community College; Michigan State University; Milton Academy; and Mount St. Mary's College.

Includes correspodence with Jayne Cortez on behalf of the Organization of Women Writers of Africa.

Also includes North Carolina A and T State University and North Carolina Central University.

Includes Norfolk State University; Northern Illinois University; Northwestern State University; and Nova Southeastern University.

Includes Oregon State University; Ohio State University; Ohio University; and OIC Vocational Institute.

Includes Principia College, Pratt Institute, and Purdue University.

Includes commencement address.

Includes Saddleback Community College; Saginaw Valley State University; Saint Mary's College High School; Salem College; San Francisco State University; Sandhills Community College; Santa Rosa Junior College; Sonoma State College; Southeastern Louisiana University; Stanford University; Steele Indian School; Stockton State College; Sweet Briar College; Southern Methodist University; South Mountain Community College; St. Paul's Episcopal School; and St. Scholastica Academy.

Includes Tarrant City Junior College; Texas Christian University; Texas Southern University; Trenton State College; Trinity College of Vermont; and Trinity University.

Includes UC Berkeley; UC Santa Cruz; UC Extension; and UC Irvine.

Includes University of Missouri-Columbia and University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Includes UNC Greensboro; UNC Asheville; UNC Wilmington; and UNC Charlotte.

Includes University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Chattanooga.

Includes UT Dallas, UT Austin, and UT Arlington.

Includes UW-River Falls; UW-Eau Claire; UW-Milwaukee; and UW-Madison.

Includes University of Arizona; University of Arkansas-Monticello; University of Georgia; University of Hawai'i; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of Michigan; University of North Texas; University of Northern Iowa; University of Pennsylvania; University of Pittsburgh; University of Puget Sound; University of Rhode Island; University of San Diego; USC-Coastal Carolina College; University of Southern California; University of Southwestern Louisiana; University of South Carolina at Spartanburg; ; and Ursinus College.

Includes Valparaiso University and Villanova University.

Includes commencement program from 1981 in which Angelou delivered the address and received an honorary degree.

Includes 1984 commencement program, in which Angelou delivered the address and received an honorary degree; material on her 70th birthday celebration, held at the university in 1998; and programs for "Dr. Maya Angelou Day" in 2002.

Includes Walsh College; Washington University in St. Louis; Wayne State University; Wesleyan University; West Georgia College; Wheelock College; and Wichita State Universityd .

Organized by event name or sponsor.

Includes introductory text for 1994 event.

Includes Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend and Arts and Science Council, among others.

Includes Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and BBC Radio, among others.

Includes ceremony scripts.

Celebration of Richard Long; Angelou sent remarks to be read.

Includes inscribed program.

Includes script; narration by Angelou.

Includes "Celebration of Poetry, Wit, Survival" at Round Table West (1978); Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression; CARE International Humanitarian Award reception; and "A Celebration of Community", County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board, among others.

Includes talking points.

Includes Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and Detroit Community Health Connection, among others.

Includes Edinburgh Book Festival; "An Expo for Today's Black Woman"; and the Edmonton Journal Unique Lives and Experiences Lecture Series.

Roundtable discussion.

Includes the Factory (London); the Free Library in Logan Square; and the Forsyth County Democratic Party dinner, among others.

Public service announcement narration.

Includes the Grand Rapids Public Library and the Gerontological Society of America, among others.

Includes Houston Downtown Alliance and Habitat for Humanity, among others.

Angelou was participant in public events and distinguished guest.

Includes Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, among others.

Includes JUBILEE!, among others.

Includes Ken Free Scholarship Fund and Kids Who Read!, among others.

Includes the Larry Neal Cultural Series and Literacy Volunteers of New York City, among others.

Includes notes by Angelou.

Includes an introduction of Angelou by Dolly McPherson for 1989 event.

Includes "Moving Up" benefit for Advocates for Women (1981) and Mustard Seed Communities' reception, "A Season of Peace" (2002), among others.

Includes programs for events at various NAACP branches.

Includes adaptation of conversation between Angelou and editor.

Video interview.

Includes New Federal Theatre's 30th Anniversary dinner (2001) and National Visionary Leadership Project video interview, among others.

Includes Oakland Museum event, among others.

Includes People for the American Way and Petaluma People Services Center events, among others.

In collaboration with various clergy in the Winston-Salem area, Angelou organized this event, which collected water and monetary donations for medical supplies in order to be sent to Rwanda.

Includes Rochester Arts and Lectures and "Read and Rise", among others.

Includes Sacramento Public Library and San Francisco Public Library, among others.

Angelou was honorary chairperson of the event.

Angelou was co-host of the event.

Angelou was co-emcee of the rally at the Lincoln Memorial.

Includes an event at Tuskegee Institute and TEMPO Madison's 20th Anniversary, among others.

Also includes transcript of interview with Angelou.

Includes WFDD Public Radio's "Love the Arts" Festival and the Woodruff Arts Center's Campaign Kickoff, among others.

Angelou participated in this PBS special on the 2000 census.

Includes Youth and Family Center and You Beautiful Black Woman (YBBW) events.

Includes Zonta Club of Dallas I and 5th Annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival events.

Dates listed are dates of materials, not necessarily Angelou's terms of service.

Arranged alphabetically by organization name.

Includes various drafts, correspondence, notes, final version, and response.

Angelou founded this nonprofit organization, presumably named after her grandmother and uncle. She served as the chairperson of the Board of Directors and Guy Johnson as the vice-chair.

Includes application for nonprofit status, meeting minutes, draft brochure, and survey responses.

This organization was founded by Robert J. Brown and Angelou's role is not entirely evident; she might have been a co-founder or consultant.

Angelou's role is not entirely clear; she might have served as a liasion between the students and the EPA.

Includes handwritten letters from Ghanian students, ages 7-12, requesting books and posters from the organization.

Corporation started by Robert J. Brown, Angelou, and George Faison; FAB stands for the initials of their last names.

Also includes service on the North Carolina branch of the Association.

Angelou was possibly a member.

Also includes material related to the African-American Leadership Retreat.

Includes material on the Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Luncheon, the Maya Angelou Tribute to Achievement, and Angelou's role as the state chairperson for special gifts.

Also includes groundbreaking ceremony program.

Also includes material related to various fundraising activities.

This subsection includes conferences and symposia outside of academic settings.

Arranged alphabetically by sponsoring organization name or title of conference.

Includes Association of College Unions-International and Atlanta Black Nurses' Association conferences, among others.

Includes the Council for Advacment and Support of Education Conference and the Common Boundary Conference, among others.

Includes the Festival Panafricain des Arts et Cultures (FESPAC International) and Foundations for a Brighter Future conference, among others.

Includes HRA Seminar Series at the National Black Theatre Institute and Honeywell Women's Council conference, among others.

Includes International Association for Religious Freedom Congress, among others.

Includes Juneteenth Roundtable Dialogue and Louisiana Association for Developmental Education Conference.

Includes the Millenium Peace Conference, among others.

Includes annual conventions of National Association of Commissions for Women and National Council of Teachers of English, among others.

Includes Religious Education Congress and Success Soul conference, among others.

Includes WomenVenture Conference and YWCA National Convention, among others.

This subgroup includes documents related to Angelou's appearances in films, television, and radio, as a narrator, actor, director, or writer; additionally, it consists of materials related to her appearances reading or performing her poetry. This material includes event programs, newspaper and magazine clippings, correspondence, contracts, and scripts.

Arranged alphabetically by title of show, film, or event.

Angelou was the host of this PBS biography series from the Horatio Alger Association.

Includes transcript of Angelou's conversation with Nell Painter.

BBC Scotland documentary.

Angelou read "Life Doesn't Frighten Me" for a children's album with proceeds donated to children's HIV/AIDS organizations.

Angelou's residency lasted four days; during the first two days, she performed a one-woman show. During the last two days, she collaborated with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble.

Angelou appears to have been a guest, anticipating her collaboration with the duo later that year ( Been Found ).

Includes a performance at the benefit concert for the Angela Davis Defense Fund in 1972, among others.

Angelou participated in this documentary on the history of Greenwich Village.

Includes script for the segment narrated by Angelou.

Includes draft script of narration.

Includes photocopies of Showbill , listing Maya Angelou Make as the Queen.

Includes script for the narration of "Outskirts of Hope", which possibly aired on December 24, 1981, and a shoot schedule for her commentary on free speech in 2006.

Includes outlines for a cable televison special; unclear if it ever aired.

Angelou was the host of this radio program in which various writers, actors, critics, and performers were interviewed or recorded in conversation on stage.

Includes Angelou's introductory scripts.

Includes Angelou's participation in the "Flameworthy" Video Music Awards; narration of "100 Greatest Songs of Faith"; and interview for the documentary, "100 Greatest Songs of Country Music".

Includes a transcript of Angelou's conversation with Oprah Winfrey for The Oprah Winfrey Show and a program for "Celebration of Phenomenal Women" at Carnegie Music Hall, among others.

Angelou directed this film.

Includes a Discovery Channel PSA, among others.

Includes script.

Angelou was a reader for one of the episodes.

Includes performance at the Hult Center, in Eugene, Oregon, among others.

Angelou spoke with comedian Dave Chappelle in an episode of the show.

Angelou narrated this 1995 film, which was based on a novel by John Ehle.

Includes Angelou's participation in "Jessye Norman Sings for the Healing of Aids", among others.

Includes scripts for Who Cares About Kids? and Kindred Spirits: Contemporary African-American Artists , both videos for public television.

Angelou starred as Sojourner Truth in this educational series for television.

Angelou read this story by Romare Bearden for Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Angelou interviewed authors, including Amiri Baraka, Rosa Guy, and Joyce Carol Oates, at the Algonquin Hotel for this public television series.

Includes scripts.

Angelou costarred as Elizabeth Keckley, alongside Geraldine Page as Mary Todd Lincoln, in this two-act play by Jerome Kilty.

Includes Playbill .

Angelou directed this play by Joyce Carol Thomas and starring Odetta.

Includes performance brochure.

Angelou narrated this documentary about the abolitionist and editor Elijah Lovejoy; it was written and directed by Robert Tabscott.

Angelou was the host of this series for Detroit Public Television, which focused on different American cultures.

Includes various script drafts by Guy Johnson.

Angelou directed the play, written by Errol John, in London at the Almeida Theatre.

Includes notes by Angelou in a yellow legal pad; handwritten draft of a thank you to the cast and crew; a template for a rejection letter to actors who auditioned; and playbills.

Includes two copies of CenterPiece , the monthly program magazine of UNC Center for Public Television, with listings for two Bill Moyers's specials, Moyers: A Second Look (1989) and Moyers: 20th Anniversary Retrospective (1991).

Includes an annoucement for an International Emmy Award nomination for Maya Angelou in Performance on Thames Televsion (1987); and a script for McDonald's Corporation's African-American Heritage Series, in which Angelou narrated a segment on Langston Hughes, among others.

Includes flyer for Angelou's "Poetry, Protest, and Song", which was sponsored by the Chicago branch of the organziation.

Includes a PSA script for the National Council of Churches, among others.

Angelou planned to host a weekly show on this channel but it is unclear if her show ever aired.

Includes press material, scripts for possible segments, and correspondence.

This film focused on the question, "If you were to die tomorrow, what moment would you most remember and how did it change your life?". Angelou was one of the interviewees.

Includes an invitation to the film's premiere.

Series to be hosted by Angelou, but unclear if it ever aired.

Angelou was guest conductor on two separate occasions.

Includes performance programs.

Includes two copies of the program for the event, at which Angelou performed.

Seven-part international television series for which Angelou provided a "meditation".

One hour special hosted by Angelou and produced by WTVS Detroit in which she explores faith.

Benefit for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Does not appear that documentary was ever filmed.

Includes PSA narrations for the Salvation Army and Smithsonian Institution, among others.

Angelou starred in this production by GM Productions, which was directed by Defoy Glenn.

A television film starring Oprah Winfrey, in which Angelou acted in the role of Lelia Mae.

Tribute to Dorothy Height.

Includes event script.

Tribute video for Jim and Sarah Brady.

Includes a performance at the Wildwood Festival and a performance sponsored by the W. E. B. DuBois Foundation, among others.

Angelou began her collaboration with Hallmark in 1999; they developed a line of greeting cards and accessories, such as photo albums and picture frames. Angelou participated in the entire creative process, from writing the greeting card text to approving the final layout of the cards. She also was involved in a lawsuit with another company that wanted to collaborate on a line of cards; this company claimed that a letter served as a binding contract although no work was ever completed.

This subseries consists of correspondence with Hallmark; greeting card text drafts (handwritten, typed, and edited); publicity and printed matter, such as the announcement of the collaboration and advertisements for Angelou's line of cards and accessories; approval forms, templates, and mockups for cards and accessories; and legal documents related to Angelou's lawsuit.

Arranged into seven subgroups: (1) Correspondence; (2) Writing; (3) Publicity and printed matter; (4) Approval forms; (5) Templates; (6) Mockups; and (7) Legal. Arranged chronologically within each subgroup.

Includes Life Mosaic Celebration event guest book.

Includes a letter regarding the Washington D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Groundbreaking Ceremony in which Angelou participated; it refers to a memento, most likely the shovel used during the event.

Includes a poem written in response to the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001.

Bound book of sentiments written by Angelou for various cards.

Includes general marketing material for Hallmark, sample cards, color schemes, and a copy of Hallmark Magazine.

Presumably, Crayola and Hallmark were going to collaborate, possibly along with Angelou.

Includes press releases, news clippings, catalogs, and invitations.

Includes editorial and final approval forms from Hallmark's Licensing Design Studio for products, packaging, advertising, and merchandising.

Includes three-dimensional mockups of cards and accessories (including a photo album and frame in box 280); a presentation on boards (box 286); and signed mock-ups from 2001 (box 289).

Angelou filed a lawsuit against Butch Lewis and his production company, B. Lewis Productions, Inc. of New York, alleging that a 1994 letter exchanged between the two about a joint venture was not binding since no business was ever conducted. The judge found that the company did indeed suffer damages, but a specific amount or final settlement is not included in the files.

Includes legal documents (depositions, motions, etc.) related to Butch Lewis Productions vs. Maya Angelou and Hallmark.

This subseries is comprised of all the administrative material associated with Angelou's professional career. Throughout her career, she had various assistants; the first subgroup includes correspondence to and from these assistants on behalf of Angelou. Most of this correspondence is with Angelou's agents and publishers; organizations requesting permissions or appearances; travel agents; and service providers. Other files include templates for Angelou's curriculum vitae and signature; contact lists (including phone numbers and addresses); lists of flowers to be sent; cards from flowers received with notes for sending thank you letters; gift lists; and stationery. Additonally, Angelou's assistants were tasked with arranging and organizing various parties and celebrations, such as her annual Thanksgiving dinner. These files contain guest lists, travel and catering information, and invitations. Angelou's office coordinated all of her travel, and these files are included here. Finally, her office kept logs for her phone messages, faxes, and mail; these files, along with her various appointment books, are included here as well.

Arranged into various subgroups, then chronogically within each subgroup.

Includes correspondence with Angelou and on behalf of Angelou.

This subgroup contains invitations, guest lists, and travel information for various parties and events hosted by Angelou, for such occasions as Thanksgiving, birthdays, and July 4. Although these events were often of a personal nature, they are included here because Angelou's assistants usually organized them.

Includes form letters regarding requests for critiques, publication quotes, and permissions.

Includes invoices, statements, and contracts for phone services, car rentals, and airlines, among others.

Most of the appointment books are monogrammed with Angelou's initials, MA; however, there are a few with different initials, presumably those of her assistants.

Only includes AMG's book.

Includes spiral notebooks with notes written mostly by Angelou's assistants, but some by Angelou as well.

Although Angelou spent most of her academic career at Wake Forest University as the Z. Smith Reynolds Professor of American Studies, she also served as Distinguished Visiting Professor of General Studies at California State University, Sacramento, during the fall semester of 1974; Radford University Distinguished Visiting Professor from 1989-1990; and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Exeter in May 1991.

This subseries includes administrative material (grade submissions, book orders, etc.); teaching contracts; course material (reading assignments, quizzes, and tests); printed matter (event posters, college brochures, etc.); and faculty meeting minutes and memoranda. Additionally, there is correspondence in the files for California State University, Sacramento, and the University of Exeter, but the majority of the Wake Forest correspondence is located in the Correspondence: Professional subseries.

Includes printed matter.

Includes materials on the College Board of Visitors and the Women Studies' Committee.

Includes syllabi, exams, lecture notes, and class rosters.

Includes syllabus, class roster, and reading material.

Includes syllabus, class roster, and reading list.

Includes course description, reading list, and reading material.

Includes class rosters, reading lists, course descriptions, class performance programs, and reading material.

Includes correspondence, notes, and a syllabi for other courses taught by Angelou or to which she contributed.

Includes lecture notes, quizzes, and reading material on courses taught by others, including Dolly McPherson, Angelou's close friend and colleague; this material was most likely referenced by Angelou for her courses.

Includes exams and a syllabus.

Includes final exam only.

Includes handwritten lecture notes.

Includes lecture notes and reading material.

Includes theater programs for productions directed by Angelou; commencement programs for which Angelou delivered the address; and symposia and conference programs in which Angelou participated or delivered addresses.

Includes articles about Angelou and her work at the University in Wake Forest , the University's magazine; the Winston-Salem Journal ; and other local and national magazines and newspapers.

Includes magazine and newspaper articles, brochures, commencement programs, and other printed matter related to Wake Forest University in general.

Most likely, the subject files were used by Angelou as research for her writing and teaching; they were materials sent to her by friends, colleagues, and the various organizations with which she was involved; or they were areas of interest to Angelou (places to travel, for instance, or topics of personal interest, such as dance). This material mostly includes printed matter (newspaper and magazine articles; brochures; pamphlets; postcards; and publications) related to various topics of interest to Angelou and organized by Angelou and/or her assistants. There are some handwritten notes and a few pieces of correspondence as well. This section is divided into six subgroups: (1) Geographic locations; (2) Individuals; (3) Organizations; (4) Publications; (5) Schools; and (6) Topics. The subgroup organizations includes businesses, theater and dance groups, nonprofit organizations, governmental organizations, museums, and historic sites. Publications include journal issues and student publications, among others. The schools subgroup mostly consists of colleges and universities, but some elementary and high schools as well. Dates listed refer to the dates of publication or event.

Includes Bermuda, Chicago, and Cuba, among others.

Also includes a memo, prepared by Ghana, regarding Southern Rhodesia and submitted to the Security Council in 1963.

Includes Maine and Missouri, among others.

Includes a handwritten poem and song, translated from Norwegian, from 1983.

Includes articles on apartheid.

Includes Senegal and Scotland, among others.

Includes Washington, D.C. and the West Indies.

Many of the files include Sara Lee's "Frontrunner Award" nomination forms, for which Angelou wrote some of the winners' essays for the awards program. She might have also been a judge.

Includes a performance program signed by Anderson.

Includes Fiona Apple and Virginia Apgar, among others.

Includes press material and clippings on the HBO movie starring Lynn Whitfield as Baker.

Includes material related to various tributes to Baldwin.

Includes Cathleen Black and Elise Boulding, among others.

Includes ticket to a performance in East Elmhurst, NY, in 1985.

Includes Julius Chambers and Liz Claiborne, among others.

Includes an inscribed performance program.

Includes George Dawson and Joan Dunlop, among others.

Includes program for a birthday tribute to Ellington.

Includes Yla Eason, among others.

Includes inscribed award program.

Includes Suzanne Farrell and John Fobes, among others.

Includes Lou Glasse and Glenn Gould, among others.

Includes Michael Harper and Chester Himes, among others.

Includes Bobby Jones and Lois Mailou Jones, among others.

Material in box 345 includes memorials to King in LIFE Magazine and Ebony , April-May 1968.

Includes B. B. King and Kris Kristofferson, among others.

Includes Elma Lewis and Robert Loomis, among others.

Includes Miriam Makeba and Elijah Muhammad, among others.

Includes Gloria Naylor and Albert Nellum, among others.

Includes a signed exhibition catalogue.

Includes Raymond Patterson and Dottie Peoples, among others.

Includes Ann Richards and Lloyd Richards, among others.

Includes Beverly Sills, John Singleton, and Wole Soyinka, among others.

Includes inscribed conference program.

Includes Mel Tomlinson and Tommy Tune, among others.

Includes inscribed exhibition catalogue.

Includes Cecil Williams and Nancy Wilson, among others.

Includes American Museum of Natural History and the Arthur Ashe Foundation, among others.

Includes Book Aid International and Boys and Girls Clubs of America, among others.

Includes CARE and Committee of Concerned Blacks, among others.

Includes Daughters and Sons United and Directors Guild of America, among others.

Includes the Enterprise Foundation, among others.

Includes Families First and Fund for Southern Communities, among others.

Includes Golden Key Honor Society, among others.

Includes Harambee Centre, among others.

Includes Institute for Independent Education and Kaiser Permanente, among others.

Includes the Metropolitan Museum of Art and MusiCares, among others.

Includes National Visionary Leadership Project and New York City Mission Society, among others.

Includes the Omega Institute, among others.

Includes PACE Center for Girls, among others.

Includes Random House and Rhino Records.

Includes the Salvation Army and State of the World Forum, among others.

Includes the Teachers and Writers Collaborative, among others.

Includes Unity Temple on the Plaza, among others.

Includes Western States Black Research Center (WSBRC) and Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts, among others.

Includes issues of Academe and American Legacy , among others.

Includes one on Richard A. Long's resources at Auburn Avenue Research Library.

Includes an issue of The Black Collegian , among others.

Includes publishers' catalogs, such as those of Continuum and Chronicle Books.

Includes a conference program for the 12th Annual Conference for Negro Women at Philander Smith College (1937) and Our Little Folks , a book for children from Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (1944).

Includes a copy of The Crusader from 1964, among others.

Includes two issues; the 1972 issue is a special issue on the black male.

Publication of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans.

Includes issues of Friends Journal and Gay Community News , among others.

The 1966 issue features an article about the overthrow of Nkrumah in Ghana.

Includes Lafayette County Democrat and Lincoln Center Theater Review .

Includes issues of Negro History Bulletin and Oxford American , among others.

Includes an issue of Public Perspective , among others.

Includes an issue of Sojourners , among others.

Includes an issue of Teachers and Writers , among others.

Includes an issue of Women's Review , among others.

Includes Bennett College and Brown University, among others.

Includes Dartmouth College, among others.

Includes Evergreen State College, among others.

Includes brochure and catalog on the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Includes Hampton Institute (now University) and the Kokrobitey School in Ghana.

Includes Mills College, among others.

Includes the North Carolina Outward Bound School, among others.

Includes the Piney Woods Country Life School, among others.

Includes Surry Community College, among others.

Includes University of Exeter and University of Tokyo, among others.

Includes Washington University in St. Louis and Wheaton College.

Includes calendars, handbooks, and registers.

Includes a photocopy of Black Odyssey: The Case of the Slave Ship Amistad by Mary Cable (1971).

Includes a 1974 flyer from the Afro-American Theatre Laboratory, which performed some of Angelou's works; it is signed, most likely by one of the performers, Richard Ward.

Includes photocopies of articles about this topic, possibly reading material for a class.

Angelou's friend, Stan Meyer, sent her clippings on various topics.

Includes two clippings from Italian newspapers.

Includes a clipping about a performance of The Blacks in Germany.

Includes original clippings (magazine and newspaper) about I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings .

Box 355a contains photocopies of clippings from international news outlets.

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Still I Rise Summary & Analysis by Maya Angelou

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

“Still I Rise” is a poem by the American civil rights activist and writer Maya Angelou. One of Angelou's most acclaimed works, the poem was published in Angelou’s third poetry collection And Still I Rise in 1978. Broadly speaking, the poem is an assertion of the dignity and resilience of marginalized people in the face of oppression. Because Angelou often wrote about blackness and black womanhood, "Still I Rise" can also be read more specifically as a critique of anti-black racism.

• Read the full text of “Still I Rise”

The Full Text of “Still I Rise”

“still i rise” summary, “still i rise” themes.

Defiance in the Face of Oppression

• Lines 10-12

Lines 13-16

Lines 17-20, lines 21-24, lines 25-28.

• Lines 29-32

The Power and Beauty of Blackness

• Lines 19-20
• Lines 22-23
• Lines 27-28
• Lines 33-34
• Lines 39-40

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Still I Rise”

You may write ... ... dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness ... ... my living room.

Just like moons ... ... Still I'll rise.

Did you want ... ... my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness ... ... my own backyard.

You may shoot ... ... air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness ... ... of my thighs?

Lines 29-34

Out of the ... ... in the tide.

Lines 35-40

Leaving behind nights ... ... of the slave.

Lines 41-43

I rise ... ... I rise.

“Still I Rise” Symbols

Valuable objects

• Lines 7-8: “I walk like I've got oil wells / Pumping in my living room”
• Lines 19-20: “I laugh like I've got gold mines / Diggin’ in my own backyard”
• Lines 27-28: “I dance like I've got diamonds / At the meeting of my thighs”

• Line 10: “the certainty of tides”
• Lines 33-34: “I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, / Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.”

“Still I Rise” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Line 21: “You may shoot me with your words”
• Line 22: “You may cut me with your eyes,”
• Line 23: “You may kill me with your hatefulness”
• Line 29: “the huts of history’s shame”
• Line 33: “I'm a black ocean”
• Line 40: “I am the dream and the hope of the slave”
• Line 4: “like dust, I'll rise”
• Line 9: “Just like moons and like suns”
• Lines 11-12: “Just like hopes springing high, / Still I'll rise”
• Line 24: “like air, I’ll rise”

Rhetorical Question

• Lines 5-6: “Does my sassiness upset you? / Why are you beset with gloom?”
• Lines 13-16: “Did you want to see me broken? / Bowed head and lowered eyes? / Shoulders falling down like teardrops, / Weakened by my soulful cries?”
• Line 17: “Does my haughtiness offend you?”
• Lines 25-28: “Does my sexiness upset you? / Does it come as a surprise / That I dance like I've got diamonds / At the meeting of my thighs?”
• Line 1: “You may”
• Line 3: “You may”
• Line 4: “But still, like dust, I'll rise.”
• Line 5: “Does my”
• Line 7: “’Cause I”
• Line 9: “Just like”
• Line 11: “Just like”
• Line 12: “Still I'll rise”
• Line 17: “Does my”
• Line 19: “’Cause I”
• Line 21: “You may”
• Line 22: “You may”
• Line 23: “You may”
• Line 24: “But still, like air, I’ll rise.”
• Line 25: “Does my”
• Line 30: “I rise”
• Line 32: “I rise”
• Line 36: “I rise”
• Line 38: “I rise”
• Lines 41-43: “I rise / I rise / I rise.”
• Line 2: “bitter, twisted”
• Line 4: “still, like dust, I'll”
• Line 24: “still, like air, I’ll”
• Line 33: “ocean, leaping”
• Lines 1-2: “history / With”
• Lines 7-8: “wells / Pumping”
• Lines 18-19: “hard / ’Cause”
• Lines 19-20: “mines / Diggin’”
• Lines 26-27: “surprise / That”
• Lines 27-28: “diamonds / At”
• Lines 29-30: “shame / I”
• Lines 30-31: “rise / Up”
• Lines 31-32: “pain / I”
• Lines 35-36: “fear / I”
• Lines 36-37: “rise / Into”
• Lines 37-38: “clear / I”
• Lines 38-39: “rise / Bringing”

Alliteration

• Line 1: “may,” “me”
• Line 3: “may,” “me,” “dirt”
• Line 4: “dust”
• Line 5: “sassiness upset”
• Line 6: “beset,” “gloom”
• Line 7: “walk,” “got,” “wells”
• Line 9: “suns”
• Line 10: “certainty”
• Line 11: “hopes,” “springing,” “high”
• Line 12: “Still”
• Line 13: “broken”
• Line 14: “Bowed”
• Line 17: “Does”
• Line 18: “Don't”
• Line 19: “laugh like,” “got gold”
• Line 20: “Diggin”
• Line 21: “You,” “may,” “me,” “with,” “your,” “words”
• Line 22: “You,” “may,” “cut,” “me,” “your”
• Line 23: “You,” “may,” “kill,” “me,” “your”
• Line 25: “Does,” “sexiness”
• Line 26: “Does,” “surprise”
• Line 27: “dance,” “diamonds”
• Line 29: “huts,” “history’s”
• Line 31: “past,” “pain”
• Line 33: “wide”
• Line 34: “Welling”
• Line 39: “gifts,” “gave”
• Line 1: “me,” “history”
• Line 2: “With,” “bitter,” “twisted,” “lies”
• Lines 4-4: “But still, / dust, I'll ”
• Line 4: “like,” “rise”
• Line 5: “upset,” “you”
• Line 6: “Why,” “you,” “beset,” “gloom”
• Line 7: “I,” “walk,” “like,” “I've,” “got”
• Line 8: “Pumping,” “in,” “my,” “living,” “room”
• Line 9: “like,” “like”
• Line 10: “tides”
• Line 11: “like,” “high”
• Lines 11-12: “springing / , / Still I'll ”
• Line 12: “rise”
• Line 13: “see,” “me”
• Line 14: “Bowed,” “lowered ,” “eyes”
• Line 15: “Shoulders,” “down”
• Lines 15-16: “teardrops, / Weakened by my ”
• Line 16: “soulful,” “cries”
• Line 18: “hard”
• Line 19: “I,” “like,” “I've,” “mines”
• Line 20: “my,” “backyard”
• Line 21: “You,” “shoot”
• Line 22: “You,” “eyes”
• Line 23: “You”
• Line 24: “like,” “I’ll ,” “rise”
• Line 25: “sexiness upset”
• Line 26: “surprise”
• Line 27: “I,” “like ,” “I've,” “diamonds”
• Line 28: “thighs”
• Line 29: “huts,” “shame”
• Line 31: “Up,” “past that’s,” “pain”
• Line 33: “I'm,” “wide”
• Line 34: “Welling,” “swelling,” “I ,” “tide”
• Line 35: “behind,” “nights,” “fear”
• Line 37: “wondrously,” “clear”
• Line 39: “Bringing,” “gifts,” “my,” “gave”
• Line 40: “I,” “slave”
• Lines 41-43: “I rise / I rise / I rise”

“Still I Rise” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• (Location in poem: Line 3: “trod”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Still I Rise”

Rhyme scheme, “still i rise” speaker, “still i rise” setting, literary and historical context of “still i rise”, more “still i rise” resources, external resources.

"Still I Rise" and Today's America — Read about the relevance and meaning of "Still I Rise" to America today. 

The Political Power of "Still I Rise" — Learn how the poem has remained relevant for contemporary political figures and celebrities. 

"Still I Rise" Art Exhibit — Learn how other artists have been inspired by and responded to Angelou's poem.

Maya Angelou Recites "Still I Rise" — Listen to the poet read "Still I Rise" aloud.

"Still I Rise" Music Video — Watch a video that creatively integrates Angelou's recitation of the poem with relevant images.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Maya Angelou

Harlem Hopscotch

Life Doesn't Frighten Me

On the Pulse of Morning

Phenomenal Woman

When Great Trees Fall

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• v.17(3); 2021 Aug

A Journey Towards Meaning: An Existential Psychobiography of Maya Angelou

Nadene harisunker.

1 Department of Psychosocial Health, North West University, VTC, Gauteng, South Africa

Carol du Plessis

2 School of Psychology and Counselling, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, Australia

This psychobiography focuses on meaning making in the early life and young adulthood of acclaimed African American author Maya Angelou (1928-2014) through the lens of Frankl’s existential psychology with a specific focus on the tri-dimensional nature of human beings and the fundamental triad. The primary data source was Angelou’s own published autobiographies, which contain an in-depth narrative of her early life and young adulthood. Data was extracted, organised and analysed according to established qualitative research methods as well as through the identification of psychological saliences. The search for meaning within Angelou’s own narrative of her life was clearly apparent in the thematic analysis. Angelou’s narrative of her journey through the physical (childhood and adolescence), psychological (travelling and searching years) and spiritual (sensemaking years) dimensions was core to her meaning making. The three tiers of the fundamental triad (awareness of meaning, will to meaning, freedom of will) were present in various aspects of Angelou’s existential journey, manifesting as a focus on choice, responsibility, purpose, and acceptance. This study provides a more in-depth understanding of meaning making processes in the lives of extraordinary individuals, as well as contributing to the development of the research method of psychobiography, with a specific focus on meaning making.

This psychobiographical study explores meaning making processes in the early life and young adulthood of Maya Angelou, an acclaimed African American female poet, author, playwright, and teacher. Angelou chronicled this period of her life through her extensive autobiographies containing personal commentary and reflexive engagement with her socio-historical milieu ( Angelou, 2004 ). The books, beginning with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ( Angelou, 2004 ), span the first 40 years of her life and are used in this analysis to chart her engagement with, and relationship to, meaning. As such, this analysis focuses on the first 40 years of her life, in keeping with the focus in her autobiographies.

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson on the 4th of April 1928. Her parents separated soon after her birth ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2004 ; Lupton, 1998 ) and Angelou spent her early childhood years living with her paternal grandmother (Momma) in Arkansas ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2013 ; Lupton, 1998 ). Momma provided a strict religious upbringing that was devoid of any overt expressions of love – both physical and verbal ( Angelou, 2004 , 2013 ).

In 1934, when Angelou was 6 years old, she moved to live with her mother. Angelou reported experiencing low self-esteem and poor body image and she frequently compared herself unfavourably to her beautiful mother, brother, and father ( Angelou, 2004 ; Lupton, 1998 ). In 1935 Angelou was sexually abused and subsequently raped by Mr F., her mother’s boyfriend. When Angelou told her uncles about her abuse, they responded by beating Mr F. to death. In her autobiography Angelou notes that she came to believe her voice was deadly and poisonous, and she became selectively mute for several years.

Angelou moved between living with her mother, grandmother, and father throughout her teenage years ( Agins, 2013 ; Lupton, 1998 ). Although she excelled academically this was also a time of tumult. For example, in 1943 she spent a month living in a junkyard with fellow teenagers after a physical altercation with her father’s girlfriend. Angelou also became pregnant as a teenager and her son, Guy, was born in 1945.

Following her graduation from high school, Angelou worked at various jobs. She was insecure and acted out in ways she believed would help her fit in ( Angelou, 2004 ). Two specific incidents are highlighted in her autobiographies: once when she prostituted herself for her boyfriend in order to ensure his continued investment in her and once when she argued with a white staff member at a shop due to her need to prove herself superior ( Angelou, 2004 ). During this time Angelou also experienced frequent anxiety and guilt concerning her role as a mother as she felt tension between her desire to be a perfect mother and her desire to explore her career ( Angelou, 2004 ).

Relationships also played an important role in Angelou’s development during this time. In her autobiographies, she notes that she often became submissive and changed who she was in order to be accepted by her partner. In 1953 she married Tosh Angelos, a white man with whom she believed she could have a perfect life. However, she failed to find meaning and purpose in the relationship, and when the marriage ended she rediscovered a love for dance that characterised the next ten years of her life. Angelou worked as a professional dancer, addressing her insecurities and chafing against the control of a second, fairly short, unofficial marriage to Vus, a South African freedom fighter. Following the end of this relationship Angelou moved to Ghana where she grappled with her ‘Africanness’ and eventually accepted her African American identity ( Angelou, 2004 , 2013 ).

Once she returned to America in 1965, Angelou continued to move frequently and her dance career gradually gave way to a career in political activism and writing. She became a successful playwright and author with a career spanning the next five decades. One of her major contributions as an author was a six volume autobiography, published between 1969 and 2002, charting the first 40 years of her life prior to her career as a writer. These volumes, as well as a seventh volume that focuses on her relationship with her mother and grandmother, are the primary data set for this study.

Angelou died on May 28th 2014 at 86 years of age. Her legacy includes her incredible corpus of writing as well as significant contributions to the civil rights movement and to recognition for female black authors. She has been described as a warm, kind, generous, powerful, and phenomenal individual ( Cadet, 2014 ; Snow, 2014 ) and her main message was that “[p]eople must work to overcome their hardships with dignity and view the world with hope and love” ( Agins, 2013 , p. 101).

The Multilayered Chronological Chart (MCC; see Hiller, 2011 ) in Table 1 below captures core moments in Angelou’s life in accordance with various themes evidenced in her narrative – specifically relationships and career. It also illustrates the time period covered by each of the first six volumes 1 of her autobiography.

Theoretical Framework: Frankl’s Existential Psychology

This study explores meaning making using Frankl’s tri-dimensional view of humans as well as his fundamental triad, with a focus on a striving to meaning and meaning through struggle ( Bruner, 2012 ). Frankl’s theory, developed in the 1920s and refined through his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps, is existential in nature and emphasises individual choice and meaning making. Frankl’s theory highlights major concepts that are fundamental to meaning making such as an awareness of the spiritual dimension, the responsibleness to meaning, and the purposeful nature of meaning making ( Wong, 2014 ). The core aspects of Frankl’s theory used in this psychobiography are discussed below.

Tri-Dimensional View of Humans

Within Frankl’s theory, humans are viewed as tri-dimensional, consisting of a biological/physical body, the psychological/inherited self and finally, a noetic (spiritual) dimension. For Frankl, the ‘noos’ or ‘mind’ constitutes the very being of humans ( Wong, 2014 ). While Frankl accepts that there are drives (biological/physical and psychological) within humans and that societal circumstances impact individuals, within his theory the spiritual ‘noetic’ self is in control over and above these ( Morgan, 2012 ). The spiritual dimension is a defiant power within humans that provides for transcendence from both instinctual/internally and externally determined sources and allows for meaning making ( Ras, 2000 ). Within this spiritual dimension, meaning making is unique to each individual, and each individual experiences unique obstacles to meaning making, which usually occur when the spiritual dimension is ignored and conflicts arise. These must be engaged with to ensure meaning making in a human life.

Fundamental Triad

The fundamental triad forms the basis of meaning and consists of three facets: an awareness of the existence of meaning, a will to meaning, and a freedom to will. These are all inherent to the noetic dimension of human beings and are all interlinked ( Mun, 2005 ). An awareness of the existence of meaning is the first aspect of the fundamental triad. The spiritual core within all individuals enables the process of awareness, allowing for the discovery of meaning. Once there is awareness of a spiritual sphere, there is a striving for meaning and therefore a realisation that meaning exists in the world. Meaning can never be created but only discovered through indirect means. Therefore, all that people can do is pursue what fulfils them and gives them a greater purpose. In addition, the discovery of meaning comes as a result of extending beyond the individual self through the acknowledgement of social reality and others within this reality. Meaning exists in every moment of an individual’s life; it is the individual’s responsibility to discover these meaning moments ( Frankl, 1969 ).

The second aspect of the fundamental triad is the will to meaning, and it is this feature that makes every individual unique as they strive to discover their own meaning in life. A pivotal tenet of Frankl’s theory is the motivating and striving force of the human spirit ( Frankl, 1967 , 1969 ). The will is a driving force; defined by its future orientation, its inclination away from self-absorption and the movement towards experiencing meaning outside of the self ( Meyer, 1997 ). The will to meaning is defined by self-awareness and a way of being that is inclined towards growth. Conflicts arise but they are necessary and contribute to the discovery of meaning. An individual can be understood through the situations and experiences that they find meaningful and the way in which they direct their energy to discover meaning ( Frankl, 1967 ).

The third component of the fundamental triad is the freedom to will. Every individual has the freedom to make choices in their lives that lead to the discovery of meaning. Freedom to will lies in the responsibleness of a person: Responsibleness is within the internal locus of control of the individual while responsibility entails an obligation that is imposed from outside the individual ( Fabry, 1987 ). An individual is not driven to meaning but is free to make choices. Individuals are often unaware that allowing their circumstances to control them is making a choice to relinquish their freedom ( Fabry, 1987 ; Frankl, 1965 , 1985 , 2000 ).

The primary aim of this study was to explore meaning making in the early life and young adulthood (until approximately age 40) of Maya Angelou, through the lens of Frankl’s existential framework. This aim was addressed by meeting the following specific objectives:

• Developing a psychological portrait of Maya Angelou using psychobiography methods and an MCC. This portrait focused on her development until the age of 40.
• Explore meaning making in the early life and young adulthood of Maya Angelou through the lens of Frankl’s tri-dimensional view of human nature as well as the fundamental triad.

Psychobiography aims to develop an understanding of an individual life through the application of a theoretical framework ( Ponterotto, 2013 , 2014 ; Runyan 2005 ; Schultz, 2005 ). Psychobiography involves both case study and narrative research ( Schultz, 2005 ). The theoretical framework provides a lens through which to view a biographical account from a psychological perspective in order to arrive at a greater understanding of an individual life ( Elms, 1994 ). In order to ensure credibility and trustworthiness, all psychobiographies follow rigorous methods of data collection and data analysis, and follow certain ethical guidelines. These processes are discussed in detail below.

Data Collection

Angelou produced extensive autobiographies detailing her life story from age three to age 40. These autobiographies, published in seven volumes, constituted the primary source of data for this analysis ( Angelou, 2004 , 2013 ). Information regarding the remainder of her life was accessed through secondary sources, including biographies and critical literary works. However the primary focus of the analysis was on the earlier years of her life, as this is the period presented in her autobiographies. Ethical approval was not sought for this study as the data used is in the public domain and the subject of the psychobiography is deceased. However, ethical guidelines specific to psychobiography were adhered to including ensuring that no confidential information was disclosed in the published psychobiography and ensuring that the psychobiographical subject was treated with respect and dignity ( Ponterotto & Reyonlds, 2017 ).

Data Extraction

The data extraction process for this psychobiography followed the guidelines provided by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña (2014) . In the first step, data condensation was used to reduce the volume of data. Two methods were selected to condense data into meaningful units: Alexander’s indicators of psychological saliency and Schultz’s prototypical scenes ( Schultz, 2005 ). Both techniques comprised a framework used to elicit the psychologically salient aspects present within the data to ensure that valid conclusions were drawn ( Perry, 2012 ; Schultz, 2005 ). Data identified as psychologically salient was extracted from the primary data sources and collated into a single document. The data was then organised so that patterns and themes could be identified. Data was first organised in a chronological fashion and this chronology forms the basis of the MCC ( Hiller, 2011 ) presented in the introduction to this paper.

Data Analysis

A deductive thematic analysis was conducted, where the two triads from Frankl’s theory (the view of a person and the fundamental triad) were used to identify themes in the data. This resulted in the identification of themes that were directly related to the concepts within Frankl’s theory. In order to ensure that themes were not artificially imposed on the data, Runyan’s (1981) criteria for good psychobiographical interpretation were applied to the analysis. This deductive thematic analysis process was cyclical in nature as there was a continuous vacillation between data and conclusions to ensure trustworthiness and quality of the research ( Miles et al., 2014 ).

Findings and Discussion

The analysis process resulted in the identification of all aspects of Frankl’s triads within Angelou’s chronological narrative in the first 40 years of her life. In the sections below the two triads are discussed separately.

Frankl proposed that individuals move through the different dimensions throughout their lives, and this appears to have been true of Angelou’s progression in the first 40 years of her life. Beginning in childhood, she moved from a focus on the biological dimension, through the psychological dimension before finally embracing the spiritual dimension in her early 40s as she moved into travelling and self-discovery. This progression is presented in Figure 1 below and discussed in more detail in the following paragraphs.

Throughout her early life and teenage years, Angelou appears to have been absorbed with her body and her physicality. This is apparent in the opening sections of her first autobiography, where she writes of an intense dissonance between her sense of self and her body: “Wouldn’t they be surprised when one day I woke out of my black ugly dream … [I was] … a too-big Negro girl, with nappy black hair, broad feet and a space between her teeth” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 8). In combination with her dislike of her physical appearance, Angelou also experienced an intense need for physical affection and intimacy that was unmet during her childhood. Angelou was never hugged or held by her grandmother (referred to as Momma) who was embarrassed by any show of emotion that was not directly linked to religion. Angelou recalled that her grandmother would have “been more surprised than I had she taken me in her arms … Her world was bordered on all sides with work, duty, religion” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 47). The lack of physical affection became linked to her dislike of her body, which made her almost desperate for validation and connection. “I wasn’t pretty or even cute. That woman who looked like a movie star deserved a better looking daughter than me.” ( Angelou, 2013 , p. 14). During this stage in her life, the young Angelou equated good looks with worthiness and believed that her physical appearance made her unworthy of receiving love.

The entrenchment within the biological and psychological dimensions continued throughout childhood and was compounded by Angelou’s experience of childhood sexual abuse. Angelou was traumatised by the abuse and was confused by the fact that she also enjoyed the physical intimacy and longed for it ( Angelou, 2004 ), as it was lacking in her other relationships. This event defined Angelou’s relationships with men through most of her adolescent and early adult years and led to Angelou developing distorted views on love and sex. In these relationships, young Angelou would completely ignore her own feelings in favour of those of her partner: “back in the car, it never occurred to me to put up resistance…I wanted to do what he wanted, so I sat quiet” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 241). Angelou wanted to completely immerse her entire being into her relationships and had a poor sense of self as she mentioned that “The naturally lonely person does not look for comfort in love, but accepts the variables in due course” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 341). The most extreme example of this occurred when Angelou willingly worked as a prostitute at the request of her partner.

As she moved into adolescence and early adulthood, Angelou continued to experience unhappiness with her physical appearance, but this became increasingly linked to psychological conflicts related to trying to clarify her identity and roles. She became fixated on certain aspects of herself, such as her need to be a perfect mother and her striving for a dance career. She experienced extreme guilt over her abandonment of Guy (her only child) but was simultaneously intent on ignoring this in her search for temporary happiness. This resulted in her becoming depressed and contemplating suicide ( Angelou, 2004 ). “… I can’t see any reason for living … I’m so unhappy. And I have done such harm to [Guy]” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 611). Angelou’s psychological conflicts (see Frankl, 1965 ; Wessels, 2013 ) were manifested in her continued determination to prove herself to others and her desire to be seen as perfect, admired, and successful. She desperately wanted love, belonging, and acceptance ( Angelou, 2004 ) and believed that she needed to act a certain way in order to achieve these things. Her need for acceptance resulted in her acting in ways that were inauthentic: “I had spent so many years being people other than myself …” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 240).

Angelou’s movement away from the biological and psychological dimensions and into the spiritual dimension appears to be marked by two themes. Firstly, her discovery of herself as a dancer allowed her to reconcile with the physical dimension and secondly, her discovery of her voice through writing appears to have allowed her to enter the spiritual dimension in her ability to find meaning through self-expression. Towards the end of the period covered in her autobiographies, as she approached her 40s, Angelou began to be more accepting towards herself as she wrote that “Love was what I had been waiting for. I had done grown up things out of childish ignorance or juvenile bravado, but now I began to mature” ( Angelou, 2004 , p .242). Angelou’s description of love ( Angelou, 2004 , 2013 ) appears to mark her transcendence beyond self-absorption into the spiritual dimension (see Frankl, 1969 ; Morgan, 2012 ) and she began to start working through her conflicts. She stopped focusing on her image and fearing rejection and moved to embracing the love of family and friends as well as finding ways, through racial activism and her career, to share this love. Based on her ability to reflect back on her early years in her autobiographies, it would appear that this ability to make meaning within the spiritual dimension persisted into the remainder of her life and career.

Reflecting back on her earlier life in one of her autobiographies, Angelou (2013) wrote:

… the ship of my life might or might not be sailing on calm seas. The challenging days of my existence might or might not be bright and promising … I maintain an attitude of gratitude. If pessimism insists on occupying my thoughts, I remember there is always tomorrow. Today, I am blessed (p. 137).

This quote epitomises the journey described in this analysis, where Angelou moved away from the physical and psychological crises that typified her early life and young adulthood and towards a more spiritual dimension.

Her youthful search for hedonism gave way to a search for purpose and fulfilment in her life. She began to feel uncomfortable about her life and these tensions signalled her awareness of meaning. “I decided that the time had come to stop my dangerous habits like smoking, drinking and cursing … Imagine I might really become somebody. Someday.” ( Angelou, 2013 , p. 81). Angelou wanted to transcend beyond herself by helping, loving, and educating others. Once she found her purpose in her career and love and security within her family, Angelou felt comfortable within herself. She had acknowledged that meaning existed, she was motivated to discover meaning, and she believed that she was free to discover it no matter her circumstances ( Frankl, 1985 ). It is interesting that Angelou chose to conclude her autobiographical recount at this point, as it clearly indicated a point at which she felt that a phase of her life had been completed.

Unlike the tri-dimensional view of humans where Angelou clearly progresses through the various dimensions of being, there is no clear chronological development of meaning in Angelou’s life as recounted in her autobiographies. Instead, she appears to have engaged with each of the three components of the triad throughout the period of her adult life (age approximately 20 to 40) recounted in the autobiographies, developing an increasing awareness of and engagement with each aspect of meaning as her life progressed. This may be because the account we have of her meaning making is retrospective (in the form of autobiographies) and so the very process of writing for Angelou constituted a discovery of meaning. However, although there is no chronological development it is still possible to trace each aspect of the fundamental triad within Angelou’s life narrative.

Angelou’s awareness of the existence of meaning was a gradual process. She was aware of the existence of God from childhood but did not have a spiritual connection until her early to mid-adulthood years. Although young Angelou grew up in a religious home and attended church frequently, she was cynical about religion. During her teenage years, Angelou was disconnected from religion and focussed on her career and academics. Angelou initially became aware of meaning not through organised religion, but through the realisation that there was a purpose and a fulfilment to be sought through a career. Angelou’s reaction to her rejection by the Army “… My life has no centre, no purpose…” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 308) was an early foreshadowing of the meaning she attached to her career. She went on to discover meaning throughout her involvement in her careers as a dancer, activist and writer – she wrote that “dancing liberated me and even made me feel as if my body had a reason to be” ( Angelou, 2013 , p. 110). Her involvement in racial politics connected her to the discovery of meaning as she was able to transcend beyond herself to be concerned about other people. Angelou was aware of the tensions within herself and this caused her to search for something beyond herself as is evident in the various movements in her career throughout her life: “My position had always been that no one was responsible for my life except me.” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 755). Although the autobiographies do not cover the later years of Angelou’s life, it seems likely that her career as a writer allowed her to discover meaning through her writing as she reflected on her life. Thus, in adulthood she appears to have experienced a settling down and an increased spirituality and connection with others ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2004 ; Frankl, 1969 ).

The second component of the fundamental triad, the will to meaning, is evident throughout Angelou’s narrative. As a child, she refused to believe in the passivity of Momma and the people in Arkansas. Instead, she believed that the racial system could be changed, and she was determined to do something about it. One of the first instances of her asserting herself was with her employer Mrs Cullinan: “For a week I looked into Mrs Cullinan’s face as she called me Mary … When I heard Mrs Cullinan scream, “Mary!” I picked up the casserole and … the green cups … I let them fall on the tiled floor” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 87). This became constant in her life and was especially prominent during the years when she was involved in Black activism ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2004 ). It is important to note the shift in Angelou’s will to meaning. Her assertations and defiance against the entrenched racial political system were initially reactive and involved working through psychological conflicts related to her insecurities surrounding race. Her will to meaning arose from her understanding of the system where “The historically oppressed can find not only sanctity but safety in the state of victimisation. When access to a better life has been denied often enough … one can use the rejection as an excuse to cease all efforts.” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 461). For Angelou, this thinking indicated a shift in how she perceived race and relations, where she started to increasingly assert that black people should not just accept a victim identity but instead should fight for their place in society.

Another theme that provides evidence of Angelou’s will to meaning was her involvement in her career. She wanted a career that would fulfil her and give her purpose. She tried several careers throughout her lifetime, each time seeking a career that would provide her with purpose and make her feel fulfilled. She enjoyed dancing and writing and this allowed her to transcend biological and psychological issues and fully engage with life and the meaning making process ( Angelou, 2004 ). She knew that she was free to make her own choices and was also responsible for them ( Frankl, 1967 , 1969 ; Meyer, 1997 ).

The third component of the fundamental triad is freedom to will, where individuals are free to explore their lives in the discovery for meaning but must also accept responsibility for every choice that they make ( Frankl, 1985 ). Angelou believed that it was important to explore and experience life to the fullest. She wanted to be active and engaged in all aspects of her life and was especially vehement against the racial system. She believed that she was free to act against the racial systems imposed on Black people ( Lupton, 1998 ). She was involved in organisations during adulthood as chronicled in her autobiographies and felt free to question her entrenched racial assumptions. Her freedom to will is evident in her movement towards settling down and accepting herself as she realised that “As always, again. We survived. The depths had been icy and dark, but now a bright sun spoke to our souls … I was a proud member of the wonderful, beautiful Negro race.” ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 143). She began to embrace meaning making in her life as she discovered the freedom within her to do so, as well as accepting the responsibility for her own life. Angelou took responsibility for her choices and felt that she had to carry out racial activism in a responsible manner ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2004 , 2013 ; Frankl, 1985 ). Angelou also felt responsible for her career; she believed that she had the freedom to choose the jobs that she wanted and the responsibility to be the best she could in these jobs. Racial politics and her career were always a freedom to will for Angelou and motivated her throughout her narrative. Angelou believed that, in general, she was responsible for any choices or decisions that she made, even those that were considered mistakes. This included her becoming pregnant with Guy:

For eons, it seemed, I had accepted my plight as the hapless, put-upon victim of fate and the Furies, but this time I had to face the fact that I had brought my new catastrophe upon myself … so I hefted the burden of pregnancy at sixteen onto my own shoulders where it belonged ( Angelou, 2004 , p. 218).

Her responsibility moved to responsibleness where she felt free to carry out her purpose and therefore have freedom in meaning making. A poignant quote by Angelou perfectly summarises her engagement with life and the importance of meaning making:

… how did I get to be Maya Angelou … I knew that I had become the woman I am because of my grandmother I loved and the mother I came to adore … Love heals … a condition so strong that it may be that which holds the stars in their heavenly positions … This book has been written to examine some of the ways love heals and helps a person to climb impossible heights and rise from immeasurable depths ( Angelou, 2013 , p. x).

Limitations and Direction for Future Research

The most notable limitation of this study is the specific focus on meaning making, which precluded the discussion of other aspects of Angelou’s life (e.g. her literary achievements, her activism). Future research should aim to utilise multiple theoretical lenses, such as those that explore creativity or social change, to offer a more comprehensive portrait of this extraordinary life. This study did indicate that Frankl’s theory provides a useful lens through which to analyse the development of meaning in an individual life and as such it is suggested that future research in psychobiography make use of this theory.

A further limitation is the focus on the first 40 years of Angelou’s life. This limitation is based on the period of time covered in Angelou’s autobiographies and as such is inevitable due to the nature of the available data. Future research may wish to expand the data set by including more extensive biographies and perhaps also interviews with Angelou’s friends and family to develop a portrayal of meaning making in the period of Angelou’s life not covered by her autobiographies.

The primary aim of the study was to explore and reach an understanding of meaning making in the early life and young adulthood of Maya Angelou, as illustrated in her autobiographies, through the application of Frankl’s existential psychology. The article utilised two major concepts within Frankl’s theory: that of the tri-dimensional nature of humans and the fundamental triad. The tri-dimensional nature of humans indicated Angelou’s movement from the biological dimension, through the psychological and achieving meaning making in the spiritual dimension. Her childhood, adolescent and early adult years were defined by biological concerns and psychological conflicts. She was able to come to terms with these and move towards transcendence into a spiritual dimension of existence ( Frankl, 1967 , 1969 ), which she seems to have reached by the time that her autobiographical narrative ceases. The fundamental triad draws from and builds on this view of humanity, as there needs to be an internal striving toward meaning making before understanding how meaning making works in a human life. Maya Angelou worked through insecurities and had become aware of meaning during her adult years and had an active will to meaning and freedom to will. She was motivated to create and to educate. She wanted to tell people about her experiences and struggles so that they could learn from them ( Lupton, 1998 ). She wanted to spread love and peace across the world. She had the freedom to choose her attitude and accepted responsibility for her life. She chose to do something worthy and purposeful with her life ( Agins, 2013 ; Angelou, 2013 ; Frankl, 1985 ).

Acknowledgments

This study forms part of a dissertation that was completed by the first author under the supervision of the second author while the first author was a student at the University of Johannesburg. Both authors wish to acknowledge the support of the University of Johannesburg in the completion the original dissertation.

Biographies

Nadene Harisunker is a Clinical Psychologist (registered in South Africa) and a lecturer in the School of Psychosocial Health at North West University. Nadene has an interest in working with severe pathologies such as personality disorders and severe trauma often experienced within South Africa. She is passionate about her work as a psychologist and lecturer and enjoys disseminating knowledge. Nadene is planning on carrying out further research related to meaning making using the psychobiographical method.

Dr. Carol du Plessis is a Clinical Psychologist (registered in Australia and South Africa) and a senior lecturer in the School of Psychology and Counselling at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Carol’s research specializes in qualitative small sample and narrative methods, and she is passionate about sharing the stories of vulnerable and marginalized communities. In addition to psychobiography she is currently working on projects related to the experiences of transgender incarcerated people, lived experiences of suicide attempt survivors, and methods of teaching counselling online.

Financial support was received from a merit scholarship for the first authors masters’ dissertation. The merit certificate was awarded at the University of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. The article drew on the dissertation.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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“Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou Essay

Introduction, works cited.

In the famous poem “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou the author demonstrates the living principles of a strong woman who is confident about herself and about her success in life. Angelou emphasizes the significance of women’s self-identity and ability to understand that they have equal rights with men, and consequently, equal prospects in life, making family or career. It is evident that the author, as well as the heroine of her poem, is a strong, or phenomenal, woman herself and this allows her to say what she says in her poem not from other people’s experiences but from the life she lived and experiences she had growing from a little African American girl to one of the most famous writers, poets and social activists of today.

The contrast of sexes is also present in the poem by Maya Angelou, as the author wants to demonstrate that belonging to females does not mean anything negative for a person and can even turn out to be an advantage in some cases if only the person knows what she wants and what she strives for. Angelou, who is considered to be the embodiment of the phenomenal woman described in her poem, is a strong and confident woman and she proves in the following lines that express one of the main ideas of her poem – the equality and, sometimes, even superiority of women:

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

(Angelou, 2000)

The poem is clear manifestation of Maya Angelou’s view of life which is based on her own experiences and the things she managed to achieve directed by this very view of life. The heroine of the poem states from the beginning that she is not the role model for other women in respect of beauty or nice figure but her phenomenon lies in more important things such as inner strength and confidence that allows to reach much more than physical perfection. It is not important for the author what others think or say, her heroine is proud of being a woman which is phenomenal in the very definition of the word:

I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.

The character of the phenomenal woman, whose prototype may be Maya Angelou herself, can be applied to any other woman living on the Earth, as far as the ideas expressed in the poem do not demand any special knowledge to understand them and any special skills from women to implement them in practice. The only thing needed, according to Angelou, is the confidence and absence of fear to show it to the surrounding world. This point of view was also reflected by literary critics that studied the poetry by Angelou. For example, Stepto singles out the prefect imagery of the poem “Phenomenal Woman” that allows the wide circle of readers to understand the main idea of this work and apply to their own personal experiences. “Angelou uses imagery to give the reader a sense of what the persona looks like. She then lists characteristics to help further the reader’s sense of the persona.” (Stepto, 313) The style in which the poem is written is rather literary but it is at the same time understandable for an average reader and proves the point that the directed audience is every ordinary woman who wants to bring change in her life or needs support in some difficult moments.

As long as the heritage of Maya Angelou is African American, she realizes quite well all the problems that are faced by women on the whole and black women in particular, the poem under consideration can also be considered as a protest against racial discrimination. Angelou experienced the most violence aspects of such discrimination and this made her a stronger personality. She expressed this in “Phenomenal Woman” and thus gave all women a sign that they are not destined to stay at home and obey in the society that is considered to be created by men and for men. The ideas expressed by Angelou in her poem can be applied to any other woman who either lives according to these ideas or only tries to put them into practice. Angelou’s heroine stresses the features that are common to every woman and differ from one woman to another but she states that these points are the most important factors that predetermine a woman’s being phenomenal not because she possesses certain exclusive features, but just because she lives:

It’s in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

Another aspect of the poem that deserves much attention is the concept of dignity and women’s self-esteem. This is one of the prominent concepts in all works by Angelou, and as noticed by Stepto (319), it finds it bright reflection in the poem “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou. The whole poem is built in a logical manner, when all aspects of woman’s life are described and discussed and the last, third, verse serves as the summary of the first two verses. In these lines, Angelou summarizes what she said in the poem and states that she is proud of being a woman, a black woman. At the same time she emphasizes that all other women must be proud of their being women, and furthermore all men must be proud that they are allowed to watch such perfect God’s creatures as women. Angelou’s heroine is a rather majestic woman but it does not prevent her from noticing and recognizing that she is an ordinary woman:

Now you understand

just why my head’s not bowed.

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

To make a logical conclusion, I would like to say that the poem “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou is a rather skillful literary work that catches attention of readers at once they take a look at it. It touches such significant topics as women identity, their rights and success in this life. Certain feminist motives can be found in the poem, as well as a simple attempt to give people hope and trust in themselves. The main idea of the poem by Angelou is the dignity that every woman should possess or struggle for in case she is deprived of it. The heroine of the poem is a rather strong, confident and proud woman, as well as the author herself, and this allows her to state that every other woman can be so successful if only she understands that she is phenomenal irrespective of her appearance just because she is unique.

Angelou, M. Phenomenal Woman. Random House; 1 edition, 2000.

Gloria Mason Henderson, Bill Day, and Sandra Stevenson Waller. Study book is Literature and Ourselves. 5th ed. Ed. New York: Longman, 2006.

Stepto, R.B. “The Phenomenal Woman and the Severed Daughter.” Parnassus: Poetry in Review 8.1 (2006): 312-20.

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Bibliography

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• Maya Angelou Essay

Maya Angelou was an influential poet and writer. She was born in 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Arkansas. Maya Angelou’s poetry often focuses on the topics of love, family, and identity. She has also written about her personal experiences as a black woman in America. Maya Angelou passed away in 2014, but her work continues to inspire people all over the world.

Maya Angelou paved the road for many of today’s African poets. She is recognized for her poems and autobiographies, which are divided into several volumes. Angelou has had a compelling life full of accomplishments and experiences.

She was the first black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco, the first woman to read her work at a presidential inauguration, and she even worked with Martin Luther King Jr.

Maya Angelou’s writing style is unique and easy to read. She writes about her life experiences in a way that is both candid and poetic. Her poetry often reflects on themes of race, identity, and family.

Maya Angelou is an important figure in American literature. She has inspired many with her words and her story. Her work continues to be relevant today. Maya Angelou is a significant voice in the black community and in American society as a whole.

Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Johnson on April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd Ed.), experienced a tragic childhood. When she was only 3 years old, her parents divorced and she was forced to live with her mother. Unfortunately for Maya (Shaw, Taylor), at the age of 8 Mr. Freeman –  her mother’s boyfriend – raped her. Helpless and alone, Angelou hid her bloodstained underwear under the couch where eventually her mother found it… And discovered that her young daughter had been raped by someone she trusted implicitly.( Shaw)

Mr. Freeman was later found dead, most likely murdered by Maya’s uncles. This experience left Maya feeling guilty and full of shame, she felt it was her fault that Mr. Freeman died. (Angelou, Maya) Angelou became mute for five years, she spoke her first words after hearing a preacher say “I know why the caged bird sings!” Maya knew she could sing and that was her way of freeing herself from the cage she felt she was in.

Angelou attended George Washington High School, then later San Francisco City College. After working as a journalist in Cairo and Ghana, she returned to the US in 1961 and began working on the play The Blacks, which won an Obie Award in 1962. (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd Ed.) Angelou wrote several autobiographies, books of essays, and poems; she was also active as a civil rights worker. In 1993, President Bill Clinton asked her to read a poem at his inauguration, making her the first poet to read at a presidential inauguration since Robert Frost in 1961. (Shaw, Taylor)

Maya Angelou was one of the most famous African-American women figures of her time. Not only was she an inspiring poet, but she was also a great actress, educator, historian, author, playwright, director and producer. During the civil rights movement era, Maya Angelou became inspired to get involved in the movement after watching Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches. Her former name was Marguerite Ann Johnson.

Maya was born on April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Maya’s parents were Bailey Johnson, a doorman and Maya’s mother Vivian Baxter Johnson, a nurse and card dealer. Maya Angelou had an older brother called Bailey Jr., who she would refer to as Brother in her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Maya did not have much of a childhood due to the fact that when she was only eight years old, her parents divorced and she was sent to live with her grandmother in Arkansas.

Her name came from her older brother, bailey, who had a speech problem and was unable to say Marguerite. He began calling her Maya because he read about the Mayan Indians in a book, and the name stuck. Maya grew up in the south during a time when racism was widespread. Life as an African American child was difficult; she faced abuse at home and experienced prejudice in school. She had a difficult youth before moving with her grandmother to St Louis, Missouri, where they were known as “mommy.”

Maya was raped by her mother’s boyfriend at the age of eight, and because she told bailey, he beat the man to near death. Maya stopped talking for almost five years after that. Maya later moved to San Francisco with her brother, where she worked as a waitress and began writing poetry. It was during this time that Maya met Malcolm X, and he encouraged her to use her writing to help empower African Americans. Maya wrote several books of poetry, as well as an autobiography, which was made into a film in 1985 starring Oprah Winfrey.

Just before high school graduation, Angelou started to question her femininity. She was less curvy than most other 16 year-old girls and thought she might be a lesbian. To prove herself wrong, she seduced her neighbor boy and got pregnant. After giving birth to a son, Guy Bailey Johnson, she took him with her when moved to San Francisco. (Ball, Jane)

Maya’s son became her reason for living. Maya had to do something with her life to make a better future for him. So she got a job as a streetcar conductor.(Angelou, Maya)

Maya Angelou was an excellent role model to African Americans in the Civil Rights Movement. She grew up in the Jim Crow South, but managed to overcome all the odds against her. Maya is best known for her poems and novels, but she has also worked as an actress, singer, dancer, and film director. (Maya Angelou Biography)

When Maya was only three, her parents divorced and she and her brother, Bailey Johnson Jr., were sent to live with their grandmother in rural Arkansas. (Maya Angelou Biography) Maya did not have an easy childhood. She was subjected to racism and sexism. Despite all the odds against her, Maya managed to become a successful poet, author, and Civil Rights activist.

Maya Angelou is one of the most important authors of our time. Her books are required reading in many high schools and colleges across the country. Maya has inspired generations of readers with her words. If you have never read any of her work, I highly recommend that you do. You will not be disappointed.

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Use Your Allusion: See How Many Literary References You Recognize

By J. D. Biersdorfer March 28, 2024

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Lines from poems and plays frequently serve as inspiration for later literary allusions. This 12-question quiz is crafted from a running list created by the Book Review’s staff to test your knowledge on a wide variety of referenced works. The source material spans thousands of years and includes ancient Greek history and modern pop songs.

The quiz is in the multiple-choice format, so just tap or click your answers. After you finish, you’ll get your score and a list of links to the original works. (And yes, the headline above does allude to a pair of 1991 albums from the rock band Guns N’ Roses. Give yourself extra credit if you spotted it.)

Video illustration by Erik Carter

Over the years, “I Sing the Body Electric” has been used repeatedly, including as the title for a Ray Bradbury short story (and his “Twilight Zone” script), as a musical anthem to creativity in the 1980 film “Fame” and in the lyrics of a 2012 Lana Del Rey song. But who said it first?

Benjamin Franklin

Mary Shelley

Walt Whitman

Paule Marshall

Chinua Achebe’s 1958 novel “Things Fall Apart,” Joan Didion’s 1968 essay collection “Slouching Towards Bethlehem” and Robert B. Parker’s 1983 thriller “The Widening Gyre” all take their titles from the same poem. What is the original poem — and who is its author?

“The Second Coming,” by William Butler Yeats

“The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost

“‘Hope’ Is the Thing With Feathers,” by Emily Dickinson

“The Charge of the Light Brigade,” by Alfred Tennyson

“Band of Brothers,” the 2001 World War II television drama, is based on a 1992 book by Stephen E. Ambrose. But which previous work used the phrase “band of brothers” quite notably?

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” by Erich Maria Remarque

“Henry V,” by William Shakespeare

“Richard III,” by William Shakespeare

“The Red Badge of Courage,” by Stephen Crane

Wait! “Band of Brothers” was decades ago and I just finished watching the new “Masters of the Air” series. Is that show’s title an allusion as well? If so, quiz me!

George Orwell

Winston S. Churchill

John Maynard Keynes

Moving on from land and air to water now: The title of “The Sea, the Sea,” Iris Murdoch’s 1978 novel, is also a famous line (“Θάλαττα! θάλαττα!” in the original language) shouted by Greek warriors when they reached the top of a mountain and could see a nearby body of water. What is the name of the Greek work?

“Odyssey,” by Homer

“Lysistrata,” by Aristophanes

“The Persians,” by Aeschylus

“Anabasis,” by Xenophon

Which 1951 poem by Langston Hughes gave the playwright Lorraine Hansberry the title for her 1959 stage play, “A Raisin in the Sun”?

“Let America Be America Again”

“The Weary Blues”

OK, back to Shakespeare, because that guy had a serious literary output that is still influential centuries later: Which one of the following books does NOT take its title from “Macbeth”?

“The Sound and the Fury,” by William Faulkner

“Let It Come Down,” by Paul Bowles

“For Whom the Bell Tolls,” by Ernest Hemingway

“Something Wicked This Way Comes,” by Ray Bradbury

“The Moon Is Down,” by John Steinbeck

The last line of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s 1899 poem “Sympathy” gave Maya Angelou the title for her first autobiography in 1969. What is that title?

“Little Brown Baby”

“Invitation to Love”

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”

Elif Batuman has named both a novel and a nonfiction book after works by a certain 19th-century Russian author who wrote, among other things, “The Brothers Karamazov.” Who is this writer?

Alexander Pushkin

Leo Tolstoy

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Nikolai Gogol

Which novelist is renowned for his allusions to popular music and literature in his work — and named his 1987 novel after a Beatles song on the band’s 1965 “Rubber Soul” album?

Bret Easton Ellis

Haruki Murakami

Paul Beatty

Hanif Kureishi

In the epigraph of his 2015 book, “Between the World and Me,” Ta-Nehisi Coates quotes a passage of a poem with the same title that influenced him. Who wrote that poem?

Gwendolyn Brooks

James Baldwin

Toni Morrison

Richard Wright

Which Scotsman’s work inspired the titles of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” and J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”?

Sir Walter Scott

Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Burns

James Boswell

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