Maya Angelou

ngelou, Maya (1928- ), American author, poet, and entertainer, best known for her portrayals of strong African American women. Born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, Angelou spent most of her childhood living with her grandmother in rural Arkansas. She moved to her mother's home in San Francisco after graduating with honors from Lafayette County Training School in 1940. At the age of 16 she graduated from high school, gave birth to her son Guy, and began a …

…for My Journey Now, a book of inspirational meditations on life, was published in 1993. She read her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton in January 1993. Angelou has received many awards and honorary degrees, including Grammy Awards (1994 and 1996) for her recordings of her poetry on the albums On the Pulse of Morning (1993) and Phenomenal Woman (1995). "Angelou, Maya," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 98 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.