She landed a role in a touring production of Porgy and Bess, later appearing in the off-Broadway production Calypso Heat Wave (1957) and releasing her first album, Miss Calypso (1957).Ī member of the Harlem Writers Guild and a civil rights activist, Angelou organized and starred in the musical revue Cabaret for Freedom as a benefit for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, also serving as the SCLC's northern coordinator. In the mid-1950s, Angelou's career as a performer began to take off.
There she won a scholarship to study dance and acting at the California Labor School.Īlso during this time, Angelou became the first Black female cable car conductor - a job she held only briefly - in San Francisco. Educationĭuring World War II, Angelou moved to San Francisco, California. She returned to Arkansas and spent years as a virtual mute. So traumatized by the experience, Angelou stopped talking. As vengeance for the sexual assault, Angelou's uncles killed the boyfriend. She also suffered at the hands of a family associate around the age of 7: During a visit with her mother, Angelou was raped by her mother's boyfriend. Her parents split up when she was very young, and she and her older brother, Bailey, were sent to live with their father's mother, Anne Henderson, in Stamps, Arkansas.Īs an African American, Angelou experienced firsthand racial prejudices and discrimination in Arkansas.
Early LifeĪngelou was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Angelou received several honors throughout her career, including two NAACP Image Awards in the outstanding literary work (nonfiction) category, in 20. She died in North Carolina on May 28, 2014.Įnsemble Theatre Artistic Director Eileen Morris talked with ABC13's Melanie Lawson about the production of "Phenomenal Woman," which runs through July 30.Maya Angelou was an American author, actress, screenwriter, dancer, poet and civil rights activist best known for her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which made literary history as the first nonfiction bestseller by an African American woman. Three years later, she would be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize after writing the screenplay and score for the film "Georgia, Georgia," making her the first African-American woman to author a screenplay.Īngelou was also a mentor to Oprah Winfrey and earned several accolades, including the Presidential Medal of the Arts in 2000 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, the latter awarded to her by President Barack Obama.Įver the educator, Angelou held a longtime teaching job at Wake Forest University.
She published "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," her first book that focused on her own life in 1969.
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She starred alongside Cicely Tyson in the 1977 TV mini series "Roots." Angelou played Tyson's mother.Īngelou later made her directorial debut with the 1998 drama, "Down in the Delta," starring Alfre Woodard. Louis, Missouri, was also a singer, dancer, and actress. This is a rolling world premiere collaboration with North Carolina Black Repertory Theatre and The Ensemble Theatre."Īngelou, who was born Marguerite Johnson in St. The theatre's website says, "From the trauma that thrust her into mutism, to the awakening that inspired her to write 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' we will learn how this phenomenal woman developed one of the most celebrated voices of all time. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) - The Ensemble Theatre in Houston is proudly presenting Angelica Cheri's "Phenomenal Woman", spotlighting the words and life story of renowned poet, author, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. The Ensemble Theatre in Houston is proudly presenting Angelica Cheri's "Phenomenal Woman," spotlighting the life and works of Maya Angelou.
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