Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou

            Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4, 1928. She is an author, poet, historian, songwriter, play writer, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist. In 1959, at the request of Dr. Martin King Jr., Maya Angelou became the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1993, she wrote and delivered a poem “On The Pulse of the Morning,” at the inauguration for resident Bill Clinton at his request. Maya Angelou was twice nominated for a Tony award for acting: once for her Broadway debut in Look Away (1973) and again for her performance in Roots (1977). She was the first black woman director in Hollywood, Maya Angelou has written, directed, and starred in production for stage, film, and television.

            Maya Angelou is included in this book because when she was 7 years old she was sexually molested by her mom’s boyfriend, while visiting her. She was 13 years old when she first said something about the incident. It took her six years to bring it up to anyone. I believe that because of this incident, this is why she is in Speak because her and Melinda can connect. They can connect because it took a while for both of them to speak up. Also they can connect because they both were raped when they were young so they both share some of the same feelings against people. This is why Maya Angelou is included in this book.

            So inclusion Maya Angelou is an author, poet, historian, songwriter, play writer, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist. People like Dr Marin Luther King Jr. and Bill Clinton requested that Maya Angelou become the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and that she would write a poem and present it. Maya Angelou is included in this book because when she was younger she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Melinda and Maya Angelou have things in common with each other. First they both were raped when they were younger which messed up their lives a lot.  One way it messed up their lives is that they didn’t feel confident to talk to anyone.