11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (2024)

HomeCelebrity

A renaissance woman who approached her work with glee and fervor, Dr. Maya Angelou was the true example of a life well-lived. As we celebrate her what would have been her 88th birthday, here are 11 surprising facts about Maya Angelou's extraordinary journey.

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (1)

By Yolanda Sangweni·Updated October 27, 2020

01

She Was the First Black Female Streetcar Conductor in San Francisco

Asked why she wanted the job at 15, Dr. Angelou told Time, “The women wore beautiful uniforms, and they had this change belt–click, click, click, click. I went to apply. No one would even give me an application. My mother said, “Take one of your big Russian books and sit there. I did, for two weeks–I hated it. But I didn’t want to go home and tell my mother I wasn’t woman enough. Finally, a man asked me, “Why do you want this?” I said, “I like the uniforms. I like people.” I got the job.”

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (2)

02

She Was the First Black Woman Admitted into Hollywood’s Directors Guild

Dr. Angelou joined in 1975, becoming the African-American member of the the Director’s Guild of America. She directed her first feature film, Down in the Delta, starring Alfre Woodard, in 1998.

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (3)

03

The Last Name “Angelou” Was Inspired By Her First Husband

Maya—born Marguerite Ann Johnson—married Tosh Angelos, a Greek-American sailor in 1949. After her marriage collapsed three years later, she changed her name to Angelou as a play on Angelos’ last name following the advice of her drama coach.

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (4)

04

She Danced with Legendary Choreographer Alvin Ailey

“Our bodies were perfectly matched,” she told ESSENCE in 2010. “We made our own costumes. He had a leopard-print G-string to match what I’m wearing here. We danced for $30 a night at clubs in San Francisco. He would go out first, but I was young and used to shake that thing and just run ’em crazy.”

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (5)

05

She Held Several Jobs Before Becoming an Author

Maya began her professional career as a dancer and singer. She was also a fry cook at a hamburger joint, a madam for prostitutes (she recounted this experience in Gather Together in My Name), a magazine editor for The Arab Observer (1962-63) and The Africa Review (1964-66), and a university administrator at the University of Ghana, where she met Malcolm X.

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (6)

06

Malcolm X Convinced Her to Return to the United States

Maya was living and working in Ghana when she met Malcolm X in 1964. He convinced her to work with him on the newly-founded Organization of African-American Unity. “We became great friends,” she told ESSENCE in 2010. But shortly after arriving back home to the U.S., Angelou was devastated to learn of Malcolm X’s assassination. “[People] should know he had an incredible sense of humor,” Angelou has said.

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (7)

07

She Befriended Nelson Mandela in 1962

Maya was living and working as an editor in Cairo in 1962 when she met the then-revolutionary Mandela while she was married to South African activist Vusumzi L. Make. They resumed their friendship when Mandela was released from prison in 1990. When Mandela passed, Angelou wrote the poem “His Day Is Done” in his honor.

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (8)

08

She Was “Terrified” to Read at Bill Clinton’s Inauguration

“I’m terrified, terrified,” she told PEOPLE in 1993, shortly before she had to read a commissioned poem at Bill Clinton’s inauguration. “I can hardly sleep,” she added. Clinton had requested the poem on December 1, 1992 and Dr. Angelou had to have it ready by January 20, 1993. She delivered the unforgettable “On the Pulse of Morning.”

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (9)

09

She Loved Country Music

Asked who her favorite singers were, Dr. Angelou told Southern Living, “Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, and Ronnie Dunn. And I especially like Toby Keith. He’s got a wonderful sense of humor and a sense of patriotism.”

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (10)

10

She Was Married to a Sailor, an Activist and a Carpenter

Dr. Angelou married three times in her life. The first, to Greek carpenter Tosh Angelos (1949-52), the second to South African activist Vusumzi L. Make (1960-63) and the third to carpenter Paul du Feu (1973-80). “I know that I’m not the easiest person to live with. The challenge I put on myself is so great that the person I live with feels himself challenged. I bring a lot to bear and I don’t know how not to,” she once told PEOPLE. “If the man has the wit and the courage to pursue me, then I’ll respond.”

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (11)

11

She Used Her Entire Body As an “Ear”

After being raped by her mother’s boyfriend when she was 8, Dr. Angelou did not speak for five years. It was then, she told PEOPLE, that she turned her body into “an ear” in order to hear and communicate.

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence (12)

TOPICS: Maya Angelou

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life
 | Essence (2024)

FAQs

11 Things That May Surprise You About Maya Angelou's Extraordinary Life | Essence? ›

Her real name wasn't actually Maya Angelou

Born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St Louis, Missouri, in 1928, Angelou was known by many other names, including Rita, Reet, My, Sister, Sugar and Miss Johnson. But it was Maya, the nickname her older brother gave her, that eventually stuck.

What is a surprising fact about Maya Angelou? ›

Her real name wasn't actually Maya Angelou

Born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St Louis, Missouri, in 1928, Angelou was known by many other names, including Rita, Reet, My, Sister, Sugar and Miss Johnson. But it was Maya, the nickname her older brother gave her, that eventually stuck.

Why is it important to remember Maya Angelou's life? ›

A childhood of suffering and abuse actually drove her to stop speaking – but the voice she found helped generations of Americans find their rainbow amidst the clouds, and inspired the rest of us to be our best selves. In fact, she inspired my own mother to name my sister Maya.

How many times did Maya Angelou marry? ›

According to her autobiographies and to Gillespie, she married Tosh Angelos in 1951, and Paul du Feu in 1974, and began her relationship with Vusumzi Make in 1961, but never formally married him.

What is unique about Maya Angelou's writing? ›

Maya Angelou's writing style is always direct and conversational. She presents issues in an unflinching way and delivers her messages with literary devices such as metaphor, imagery, call and response, eye dialect, and figurative language.

What happened to Maya Angelou when she was 7? ›

Returning to her mother's care briefly at the age of seven, Angelou was raped by her mother's boyfriend. He was later jailed and then killed when released from jail. Believing that her confession of the trauma had a hand in the man's death, Angelou became mute for six years.

What did Maya Angelou suffer from? ›

As an African American, Angelou experienced firsthand racial prejudices and discrimination in Arkansas. She also suffered violence at home when she was around the age of 7. During a visit with her mother, Maya was raped by her mother's boyfriend. As vengeance for the sexual assault, her uncles killed the boyfriend.

What did Maya Angelou stand for? ›

Maya Angelou (born April 4, 1928, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.—died May 28, 2014, Winston-Salem, North Carolina) was an American poet, memoirist, and actress whose several volumes of autobiography explore the themes of economic, racial, and sexual oppression.

Was Maya Angelou a nurse? ›

Answer and Explanation: No, Maya Angelou was not a nurse. However, she had a deep understanding of the hard work and sacrifice that nurses put forth in their occupation. This was because her mother, Vivian Baxter Johnson, was a nurse.

Why did Maya Angelou change her name? ›

In 1952, she married a Greek sailor named Anastasios Angelopulos. When she began her career as a nightclub singer, she took the professional name Maya Angelou, combining her childhood nickname with a form of her husband's name. Although the marriage did not last, her performing career flourished.

What was Maya Angelou's name at birth? ›

Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Bailey Johnson, who was a naval dietitian, and Vivian Baxter Johnson, who was a nurse. Angelou had one sibling, her older brother Bailey Jr.; he called her “Maya,” his version of “my sister.”

What are Maya Angelou's favorite colors? ›

Her favourite colour was pink. She studied dance on a scholarship. Throughout her life, she held varied roles including poet, author, playwright, and activist.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Patricia Veum II

Last Updated:

Views: 5743

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (64 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Patricia Veum II

Birthday: 1994-12-16

Address: 2064 Little Summit, Goldieton, MS 97651-0862

Phone: +6873952696715

Job: Principal Officer

Hobby: Rafting, Cabaret, Candle making, Jigsaw puzzles, Inline skating, Magic, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Patricia Veum II, I am a vast, combative, smiling, famous, inexpensive, zealous, sparkling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.