Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was born as Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928. Her brother , Baily Jr., gave her the name"Maya" during their childhood. When Angelou was 8 years old she experienced a tragic event that left her nearly mute for 5 years. A teacher and friend, Bertha Flowers, helped her to speak again. Flowers intrduced her to classical literature and authors, such as Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, and Edgar Allen Poe.

After graduating from highschool, Angelou attended California Labor School on a scholarship. There she studied dance and drama. During her years in college, Angelou became the first black female streetcar conductor for San Francisco. A few weeks after graduating from college, Maya gave birth to her son, Clyde. He too became a poet. Later Angelou received a scholarship to study dance with Trinidadian choreographer Pearl Primus. Angelou married tosh Angelos in 1952,but the divorced after one-and-a-half years. Angelou has never admitted how many times she's been married, but it's believed to be at least three times.