Early Years
Marguerite Johnson was born in St. Lou Marguerite Johnson was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928,[3] the second child of Bailey Johnson, a doorman and a navy dietitian, and Vivian (Baxter) Johnson, a nurse and card dealer. Angelou was given her name "Maya" as a nickname from her older brother, Bailey Jr. When Maya was 3, her father sent her to Stamps, Arkansas along with her brother to live with their grandmother.
Four years later, Maya's father came the Stamps without warning to take them back to St.Louis to be once again cared by her mother. However, all did not remain peaceful. When Maya was 8, she was sexually abused and raped by her mother's boyfriend, Mr.Freeman. She was afraid to tell her family but reported it to her brother, who then confessed it to the rest of the family. Freeman ended up guilty but was jailed for one day. However, this did not mean he was off the hook. Four days later, Freeman was found dead, actually, murdered, probably by Maya's uncles. Due to the shock of all that had happened Maya became mute, for 5 years in fact. "I thought, my voice killed him; I killed that man, because I told his name. And then I thought I would never speak again, because my voice would kill anyone ...", stated Maya recalling the event. It was during this period of silence when Angelou developed her extraordinary memory, her love for books and literature, and her ability to listen and observe the world around her. it wa it was during this period of silence when Angelou developed her extraordinary memory, her love for books and literature, and her ability to listen and observe the world around her.
Shortly after Freeman's murder, Angelou and her brother were sent back to their grandmother once again.
Angelou credits a teacher and friend of her family, Mrs. Bertha Flowers, with helping her speak again. She influenced Maya's interest in literature by introducing her to various famous authors. When Angelou was 14, she and her brother moved in with their mother once again; she had since moved to Oakland, California. During World War II, she attendedGeorge Washington High School while studying dance and drama on a scholarship at the California Labor School. Before graduating, she worked as the first Black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco. Three weeks after completing school, at the age of 17, she gave birth to her son, Clyde, who also became a poet.
Four years later, Maya's father came the Stamps without warning to take them back to St.Louis to be once again cared by her mother. However, all did not remain peaceful. When Maya was 8, she was sexually abused and raped by her mother's boyfriend, Mr.Freeman. She was afraid to tell her family but reported it to her brother, who then confessed it to the rest of the family. Freeman ended up guilty but was jailed for one day. However, this did not mean he was off the hook. Four days later, Freeman was found dead, actually, murdered, probably by Maya's uncles. Due to the shock of all that had happened Maya became mute, for 5 years in fact. "I thought, my voice killed him; I killed that man, because I told his name. And then I thought I would never speak again, because my voice would kill anyone ...", stated Maya recalling the event. It was during this period of silence when Angelou developed her extraordinary memory, her love for books and literature, and her ability to listen and observe the world around her. it wa it was during this period of silence when Angelou developed her extraordinary memory, her love for books and literature, and her ability to listen and observe the world around her.
Shortly after Freeman's murder, Angelou and her brother were sent back to their grandmother once again.
Angelou credits a teacher and friend of her family, Mrs. Bertha Flowers, with helping her speak again. She influenced Maya's interest in literature by introducing her to various famous authors. When Angelou was 14, she and her brother moved in with their mother once again; she had since moved to Oakland, California. During World War II, she attendedGeorge Washington High School while studying dance and drama on a scholarship at the California Labor School. Before graduating, she worked as the first Black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco. Three weeks after completing school, at the age of 17, she gave birth to her son, Clyde, who also became a poet.