Maya Angelou.

Marguerite Annie Johnson

Born 4 Apr 1928 St. Louis, United States

Died 28 May 2014 Winston-Salem, United States

Citizenship United States

Would Be 98 yr If Living

13 min read

Reading time

2,405

Words

Oct 26, 2026

Published

Awards

TL;DR

Maya Angelou delivered the poem On the Pulse of Morning at President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration, becoming only the second poet to perform at a US presidential inauguration. Her 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings brought her international recognition and remains a cornerstone of American literature. President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, and she also received the National Medal of Arts in 2000.

Identity & family.

KIN · 2

Names, aliases, and relatives of Maya Angelou — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Marguerite Annie Johnson

Aliases Dr. Maya Angelou

Spouses: Paul Du Feu Vusumzi Linda Make

At a glance.

STATS

Maya Angelou by the numbers — life, work, and family.

86 Years lived

22 Awards

2 Marriages

Who was Maya Angelou?

BIOGRAPHY

Maya Angelou — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

After their parents’ divorce, Marguerite Annie Johnson — born April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri — and her brother Bailey were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. At age seven, she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend; after she told her brother, the man was killed, and Angelou became mute for several years. She regained her voice through literature and poetry. She attended George Washington High School and the California Labor School. At sixteen, she became the first black female cable car conductor in San Francisco.

Career

Angelou’s 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings launched her literary career and became a bestseller. She published six additional autobiographies, including Gather Together in My Name 1974 and The Heart of a Woman 1981. As a performer, she toured Europe and Africa in the 1954 production of Porgy and Bess and recorded the album Miss Calypso in 1957. A Tony Award nomination came in 1973 for her role in Look Away. In 1993, she read her poem On the Pulse of Morning at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration, only the second poet to do so. She acted in films such as Poetic Justice 1993 and Roots 1977, and directed the film Down in the Delta 1998.

Personal life

Angelou married Paul Du Feu in 1974, divorcing in 1983, and previously married Vusumzi Linda Make in 1960, divorcing in 1973. She had one son, Guy B. Johnson, who became an author. She shared a close friendship with Oprah Winfrey, who considered her a mother-sister-friend. Angelou spoke six languages fluently: French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, and West African Fanti.

Legacy

The National Women’s Hall of Fame inducted Angelou in 1998. She received over 50 honorary degrees and numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 from President Barack Obama. Her works are taught in schools and universities worldwide, though censors have also challenged them. Her poem On the Pulse of Morning remains a defining moment of the Clinton era. Readers most remember her for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and her voice as a poet and activist.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 19

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Maya Angelou — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

National Women's Hall of Fame
Langston Hughes Medal
Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording
Spingarn Medal
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Nonfiction
Marian Anderson Award
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community
Candace Award
Horatio Alger Award
Arkansas Black Hall of Fame
Paul Robeson Award
Crystal Award
National Medal of Arts
honorary doctorate of the University of South Carolina
honorary citizen of Baltimore
North Carolina Award for Literature
honorary degree from Spelman College
Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 17

A wall of memorable lines from Maya Angelou — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

Love Is That Condition in the Human Spirit so Profound That It Allows Me to Survive, and Better Than That, to Thrive with Passion, Compassion, and Style.
If You Don’t Like Something, Change It. If You Can’t Change It, Change Your Attitude. Don’t Complain.
At Fifteen Life Had Taught Me Undeniably That Surrender, in Its Place, Was as Honorable as Resistance, Especially If One Had No Choice.
I Love to See a Young Girl Go Out and Grab the World by the Lapels. Life’s a Bitch. You’ve Got to Go Out and Kick Ass.
The Quality of Strength Lined with Tenderness Is an Unbeatable Combination, as Are Intelligence and Necessity When Unblunted by Formal Education.
Children’s Talent to Endure Stems from Their Ignorance of Alternatives.
Self-pity in Its Early Stage Is as Snug as a Feather Mattress. Only When It Hardens Does It Become Uncomfortable.
Everything in the Universe Has Rhythm. Everything Dances.
On Love: the Loss of Young First Love Is so Painful That It Borders on the Ludicrous.
On Childhood: Few, If Any Survive Their Teens. Most Surrender to the Vague but Murderous Pressure of Adult Conformity.
On Experience: a Cynical Young Person Is Almost the Saddest Sight to See, Because It Means That He or She Has Gone from Knowing Nothing to Believing Nothing.
I Like to Have Guns Around. I Don’t Like to Carry Them.
I Think Men Are as Crazy as They Were, and Women as Crazy as They Were.. I’ve Never Had a Dislike for Men. I’ve Been Badly Mistreated by Some. but I’ve Been Loved Greatly by Some. I Married a Lot of Them.
By Love I Mean That Condition in the Human Spirit so Profound, It Encourages Us to the Develop Courage and Then Bridges, and Then to Trust Those Bridges and Cross the Bridges in Attempts to Reach Other Human Beings.
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.
Success Is Liking Yourself.
If You Are Always Trying to Be Normal, You Will Never Know How Amazing You Can Be.

Did you know?

FACTS · 28

Little-known facts about Maya Angelou — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

When Maya was seven years old, her mother’s boyfriend raped her. Her brother Bailey convinced her to reveal the perpetrator, and the man was subsequently killed. Believing that her words caused his death, Angelou stopped speaking for several years.
Angelou was fluent in French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, and West African Fanti, in addition to English.
She was the first black female cable car conductor in San Francisco.
Angelou considered Oprah Winfrey a dear friend and the daughter she always wanted, while Oprah viewed her as a mother-sister-friend and one of the greatest influences in her life.
Her nickname Maya came from her older brother Bailey, who called her My and Mine.
She read her poem On the Pulse of Morning at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton on January 20, 1993, becoming only the second poet to compose and deliver a poem at a US Presidential Inauguration, after Robert Frost in 1961.
Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1998.
The title of her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings comes from the poem Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar.
She was the mother of Guy B. Johnson, author of the novels Standing at the Scratch Line 2001 and Echoes of a Distant Summer 2011.
Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama on February 15, 2011.
She had been awarded more than thirty honorary college and university degrees.
Was nominated for Broadway’s 1973 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actress Dramatic for her role as Elizabeth Keckley in Look Away.
Toured Europe and Africa in an American production of Porgy and Bess between 1954 and 1955.
Hosted and was a subject-matter expert for the instructional telecourse Humanities Through the Arts.
She recorded an album for Liberty Records in 1957 titled Miss Calypso.
Honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
Thanked by Fiona Apple in the liner notes of her album Tidal.
She recorded an album with Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson called Been Found in 1996.
Was narrator for Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney Theme Parks following Rex Allen.
Pictured on a USA forever commemorative postage stamp issued April 7, 2015.
Attended and graduated from George Washington High School in San Francisco, California.
Received the Women’s International Center WIC Living Legacy Award in 1986.
Awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 2000 by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 1993 inaugural class.
Although she played Cicely Tyson’s mother in Roots 1977, she was more than three years younger than Tyson in real life.
Was one of eleven children.
She was a lifelong Democrat.
In The Simpsons episode Insane Clown Poppy, she was offered to guest voice but declined, and was voiced by Pamela Hayden.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 34

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Maya Angelou.

When was Maya Angelou born?

Maya Angelou was born on April 4, 1928. She was born as Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri.
Where was Maya Angelou born?

Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Her birth name was Marguerite Annie Johnson.
When did Maya Angelou die?

Maya Angelou died on May 28, 2014. She was 86 years old at the time of her death.
How old was Maya Angelou when she died?

Maya Angelou was 86 years old when she died on May 28, 2014. She was born on April 4, 1928.
Where did Maya Angelou die?

Maya Angelou died in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. The cause of death was not publicly disclosed.
How did Maya Angelou die?

The cause of Maya Angelou’s death was not publicly disclosed. She passed away on May 28, 2014 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
What was Maya Angelou's birth name?

Maya Angelou’s birth name was Marguerite Annie Johnson. She later adopted the name Maya, which came from her brother Bailey.
What does Maya Angelou do for a living?

Maya Angelou was a writer, poet, actor, and civil rights activist. She is best known for her autobiographies, especially I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
What nationality is Maya Angelou?

Maya Angelou was American. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri and lived most of her life in the United States.
Who was Maya Angelou married to?

Maya Angelou was married twice: to Vusumzi Linda Make from 1960 to 1973, and to Paul Du Feu from 1974 to 1983. She was also previously married to Enistasious Tosh Angelos from 1951 to 1954, though that marriage is not listed in her official spouse record.
Where did Maya Angelou go to school?

Maya Angelou attended George Washington High School in San Francisco, California, and the California Labor School. She also studied dance and drama on a scholarship.
What awards did Maya Angelou win?

Maya Angelou won numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Arts, three Grammy Awards for Best Audio Book, and the Langston Hughes Medal. She was also inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1998.
How many awards did Maya Angelou win?

Maya Angelou won over 20 major awards during her lifetime. These include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Arts, and multiple Grammy Awards.
What is Maya Angelou best known for?

Maya Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, beginning with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 1969. She also gained fame for reciting her poem On the Pulse of Morning at President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration.
How tall was Maya Angelou?

Maya Angelou was 6 feet 0 inches tall, or 1.83 meters. Her height was notable, especially as a woman of her era.
Why was Maya Angelou called Dr. Maya Angelou?

Maya Angelou was often called Dr. Maya Angelou because she received many honorary doctorate degrees. She was awarded more than 30 honorary degrees from colleges and universities.
What was Maya Angelou's nickname?

Maya Angelou’s nickname Maya was given to her by her older brother Bailey, who called her My and Mine. Her birth name is Marguerite Annie Johnson.
What poem did Maya Angelou read at the inauguration?

Maya Angelou read the poem On the Pulse of Morning at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration on January 20, 1993. She was only the second poet to perform at a US presidential inauguration.
What is the title of Maya Angelou's first autobiography?

Maya Angelou’s first autobiography is I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, published in 1969. It covers her life up to age 17 and brought her international acclaim.
How many honorary degrees did Maya Angelou receive?

Maya Angelou received more than 50 honorary degrees. She was awarded honorary doctorates from many institutions, including Spelman College and the University of South Carolina.
Was Maya Angelou a civil rights activist?

Yes, Maya Angelou was a prominent civil rights activist. She worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, and used her writing to advocate for black women and the African American community.
Did Maya Angelou win any Grammy Awards?

Yes, Maya Angelou won three Grammy Awards for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording. She won these for spoken-word recordings of her works.
What was Maya Angelou's relationship with Oprah Winfrey?

Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey shared a close, lifelong friendship. Oprah considered Angelou a mother-sister-friend and one of the greatest influences in her life.
Why did Maya Angelou stop speaking as a child?

Maya Angelou stopped speaking at age seven after being raped by her mother’s boyfriend. She believed that her words caused the man’s death, and she remained mute for several years.
What languages did Maya Angelou speak?

Maya Angelou was fluent in six languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, and West African Fanti. She was a talented linguist.
Did Maya Angelou appear in any movies?

Yes, Maya Angelou appeared in several films and TV shows. Notable roles include Aunt June in Poetic Justice 1993 and Nyo Boto in the miniseries Roots 1977.
What is the significance of the title I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings?

The title I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings comes from the poem Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar. It uses the metaphor of a caged bird to express the struggle for freedom and identity.
Was Maya Angelou the first black female cable car conductor?

Yes, at age 16, Maya Angelou became the first black female cable car conductor in San Francisco. She worked on the city’s cable cars to help support her family.
Did Maya Angelou win the Presidential Medal of Freedom?

Yes, Maya Angelou was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 by President Barack Obama. It is the nation’s highest civilian honor.
What is Maya Angelou's most famous poem?

Maya Angelou’s most famous poem is On the Pulse of Morning, which she recited at President Clinton’s 1993 inauguration. Another well-known poem is Still I Rise.
How many children did Maya Angelou have?

Maya Angelou had one son, Guy B. Johnson. He became an author and wrote novels such as Standing at the Scratch Line 2001.
What was Maya Angelou's role in the TV series Roots?

In the 1977 miniseries Roots, Maya Angelou played the character Nyo Boto. Interestingly, she was more than three years younger than Cicely Tyson, who played her daughter in the series.
Did Maya Angelou receive any Tony Award nominations?

Yes, Maya Angelou was nominated for a Tony Award in 1973 for Best Supporting or Featured Actress in a Play for her role as Elizabeth Keckley in Look Away.
What album did Maya Angelou record in 1957?

Maya Angelou recorded an album titled Miss Calypso for Liberty Records in 1957. It showcased her talents as a singer and performer.

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Audited & updated by

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Published on October 26, 2026

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