Maya Angelou: The Decision That Changed My Life: Keeping My Baby - (2024)

Maya Angelou: The Decision That Changed My Life: Keeping My Baby - (1)

When I was 16, a boy in high school evinced interest in me, so I had sex with him — just once. And after I came out of that room, I thought, Is that all there is to it? My goodness, I’ll never do that again! Then, when I found out I was pregnant, I went to the boy and asked him for help, but he said it wasn’t his baby and he didn’t want any part of it.

I was scared to pieces. Back then, if you had money, there were some girls who got abortions, but I couldn’t deal with that idea. Oh, no. No. I knew there was somebody inside me. So I decided to keep the baby.

My older brother, Bailey, my confidant, told me not to tell my mother or she’d take me out of school. So I hid it the whole time with big blouses! Finally, three weeks before I was due, I left a note on my stepfather’s pillow telling him I was pregnant. He told my mother, and when she came home, she calmly asked me to run her bath.

I’ll never forget what she said: “Now tell me this — do you love the boy?” I said no. “Does he love you?” I said no. “Then there’s no point in ruining three lives. We are going to have our baby!”

What a knockout she was as a mother of teens. Very loving. Very accepting. Not one minute of recrimination. And I never felt any shame.

I’m telling you that the best decision I ever made was keeping that baby! Yes, absolutely. Guy was a delight from the start — so good, so bright, and I can’t imagine my life without him.

At 17 I got a job as a cook and later as a nightclub waitress. I found a room with cooking privileges, because I was a woman with a baby and needed my own place. My mother, who had a 14-room house, looked at me as if I was crazy! She said, “Remember this: You can always come home.” She kept that door open. And every time life kicked me in the belly, I would go home for a few weeks.

I struggled, sure. We lived hand-to-mouth, but it was really heart-to-hand. Guy had love and laughter and a lot of good reading and poetry as a child. Having my son brought out the best in me and enlarged my life. Whatever he missed, he himself is a great father today. He was once asked what it was like growing up in Maya Angelou’s shadow, and he said, “I always thought I was in her light.”

Years later, when I was married, I wanted to have more children, but I couldn’t conceive. Isn’t it wonderful that I had a child at 16? Praise God!

by Maya Angelou

Article published October 8, 2001 in Family Circle Magazine, and republished by Feminists for Life.

Maya Angelou: The Decision That Changed My Life: Keeping My Baby - (2024)

FAQs

What does this poem suggest about Maya Angelou's own life? ›

What does this poem suggest about Maya Angelou's own life? The poem "Still I Rise" suggests that Maya Angelou has faced racism and prejudice in her lifetime and that she feels as though she has overcome it. Write a complete sentence that expresses a theme of the poem “Still I Rise.”

What is a famous quote from Maya Angelou? ›

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. It may even be necessary to encounter the defeat, so that we can know who we are.”

How old was Maya Angelou when she had her first son? ›

In 2014, Angelou received a lifetime achievement award from the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials as part of a session billed "Women Who Move the Nation". Three weeks after completing school, at the age of 17, she gave birth to her son, Clyde (who later changed his name to Guy Johnson).

How Maya Angelou overcame her problems with her mother and describe how she based her advice to other on her own experience? ›

Final answer: Maya Angelou overcame her issues with her mother through understanding, forgiveness, and unconditional love. Her personal journey informed her advice to others, which emphasized resilience, understanding, and self-love.

What is the life summary of Maya Angelou? ›

Angelou had a broad career as a singer, dancer, actress, composer, and Hollywood's first female black director, but became most famous as a writer, editor, essayist, playwright, and poet. As a civil rights activist, Angelou worked for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

What is the point of Angelou's story? ›

Her struggles as a belittled Black girl is harmonious with so many others- her courage to defeat her demons marks a moment of change in history- the American Civil War. Angelou's story is an honest cry for freedom- which she achieves and still fights for to this day.

What does Maya Angelou say about life? ›

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. Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.

What did Maya Angelou say about change? ›

If you can't change it, change your attitude.” Maya Angelou – Determination.

What age did Maya get pregnant? ›

When she was just 16 years old, Maya Angelou got pregnant with her son, Guy Johnson. At a time when teen mothers were often shamed and/or pushed into marrying the baby's father, the now-literary icon and renowned poet had a support system many other teen moms lacked. Dr.

Did Maya Angelou adopt a child? ›

She graduated from Mission High School in the summer of 1944 and soon after gave birth to her only child, Clyde Bailey (Guy) Johnson. After graduation, Angelou undertook a series of odd jobs to support herself and her son. In 1949, she married Tosh Angelos, an electrician in the US Navy.

Did Maya Angelou ever marry? ›

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.

Why did Maya Angelou go mute? ›

Throughout her life, Angelou defied social norms. After being raped by her mother's boyfriend, she withdrew and was mute for five years. However, encouraged by her grandmother, who introduced her to literature, she gradually emerged as a talented artist.

What did Maya Angelou care about? ›

Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and actress whose several volumes of autobiography explore the themes of economic, racial, and sexual oppression.

Did Maya Angelou have a white husband? ›

In 1973, author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou married a white man, Paul du Feu.

What is Maya Angelou Alone poem about? ›

Maya Angelou's “Alone” is an incredible narrative poem that readers can relate to. This poem is about realizing that no matter who you are, or where you come from, or how much money you have, you need other human beings to survive in this world. In life you need people who love you and help you through hardships.

What were Maya Angelou's poems mainly about? ›

General themes. Angelou explores many of the same themes throughout all her writings, in both her autobiographies and poetry. These themes include love, painful loss, music, discrimination and racism, and struggle. According to DeGout, Angelou's poetry cannot easily be placed in categories of themes or techniques.

What is the message of the poem "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou? ›

Still I Rise” is primarily about self-respect and confidence. In the poem, Angelou reveals how she will overcome anything through her self-esteem. She shows how nothing can get her down. She will rise to any occasion and nothing, not even her skin color, will hold her back.

How does the poetess Maya Angelou describe the life of the free bird? ›

She says that the free bird soars high in the sky with the winds. She also describes the beautiful movements of the free bird when he floats in the direction of the stream as the orange sunlight falls upon him. The orange sun rays specify that it is early morning and a clear sky without any clouds.

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