​"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."

• WRITER
• Born Marguerite Johnson
• Studied dance with renowned choreographer Alvin Ailey, and traveled throughout Europe in a production of the opera Porgy and Bess
• Noted for confronting race and gender head on, transforming these "limitations" into cause for celebration and pride
• Wrote a series of autobiographies, using her own struggle against poverty, abuse, racism, and sexism to illuminate the challenges Black women face
• Supported the Civil Rights Movement by acting as the northern coordinator of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & Malcolm X
• FIRST:
  • Black streetcar conductor in San Francisco 
  • Black woman director in Hollywood
  • Black woman to write a screenplay that was made into a movie
  • woman AND first Black American to read her own work at a presidential inauguration
• Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011
• Also authored several volumes of poetry, theater & television scripts, children's books, and cookbooks

Bibliography: Burling, Alexis. Women in Literature. North Mankato: Abdo Publishing, 2017. Print.
Braxton, Joanne M. and Courtney M. O'Reilly. "Angelou, Maya." The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History, Vol. 1, Oxford University Press, 2008, 111.
Cavallo, Francesca and Elena Favilli. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women. Canada: Timbuktu Labs, Inc., 2016. Print.
Shen, Ann. Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2016. Print.

---

Support this organization dedicated to preserving her mission:

The Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity

Books by this Awesome Woman

Biographies for Kids and Young Adults

(picture book)

(picture book)

Research

Spread the word!

Meet more Awesome Women like this

Please note that while Awesome Women Library tries to include links only to media from reputable sources, we cannot attest to the quality or content of any media listed on this website. Our mission is to introduce you to these Awesome Women and give you a wide array of resources for learning more. We haven't read everything listed and are not a recommendation site, nor is this meant to be an exhaustive catalog of every book related to this woman -- there's just too much out there! Happy reading!!