英语名人堂：玛雅·安吉罗
Maya Angelou is part of the fabric of modern America. She has told her story of being a key part of the civil rights movement through poetry, novels and film. She is best known for her sixautobiographies, most notably ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’. In 1993, President Bill Clinton asked her to recite one of her poems at his inauguration.
Angelou was born in Missouri in 1928 into a deeply segregated society. Her parent’s divorce meant she was sent back and forth between her mother and grandmother. Her mother’s boyfriend raped her when she was eight. His later murder left Angelou mute for five years. She studied drama and literature at school, and three weeks after graduating, gave birth to her son.
Angelou struggled to survive for many years. She experienced poverty, crime, prostitution and her son being kidnapped. She won a scholarship to study dance. Her career as a singer and dancer took off. She moved to New York and acted in Broadway plays. She also met Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and became active in the civil rights movement.
Angelou became, and is to this day, a prolific writer. She also toured the USA giving lectures, appeared in TV series and wrote songs. Her screenplay, ‘Georgia, Georgia’ was the first written by a black woman to be made into a movie. Angelou has been highly honored for her significant cultural contributions and has over 30 honorary degrees. She is an American legend.
