20 Century Genius Award
I would like to present the 20th Century Genius Award to Dr. Maya Angelou. She is a remarkable Renaissance woman who is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature. As a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, she continues to travel the world, spreading her legendary wisdom. Within the rhythm of her poetry and elegance of her prose lies Angelou's unique power to help readers of every orientation span the lines of race and Angelou captivates audiences through the vigor and sheer beauty of her words and lyrics. (Dr. Maya Angelou, The Official Website, © 2003)
A brief synopsis of the life and time of Dr Maya Angelou; she was born Marguerite Johnson, April 4, 1928, in St Louis, Missouri. Her parents divorced and Maya and her older brother Bailey were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. After five years of living apart from their mother, the children returned home to St. Louis. This move took a horrific turn for the worse when Angelou, 8, was raped by her mother's boyfriend. This devastating act upon such a young girl caused her to become selctively mute for almost four years. She was sent back to Stamps to live with her Grandmother because no one could understand the state of mind that she was in. With the constant help of a school teacher named Mrs. Flowers, Angelou began to evolve into the young girl who had possessed the pride and confidence she once had. In 1940, Angelou and her brother were sent to live with their mother again who by this time had moved to San Francisco. Life with her mother was in constant disorder; it soon became too much for her so her father came and took her to live with him and his girlfriend in their rundown trailer. Finding that life with him was no better, she ended up living in a graveyard of wrecked cars that housed homeless children. It took her a month to get back home to her mother. Angelou's dysfunctional
A brief synopsis of the life and time of Dr Maya Angelou; she was born Marguerite Johnson, April 4, 1928, in St Louis, Missouri. Her parents divorced and Maya and her older brother Bailey were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. After five years of living apart from their mother, the children returned home to St. Louis. This move took a horrific turn for the worse when Angelou, 8, was raped by her mother's boyfriend. This devastating act upon such a young girl caused her to become selctively mute for almost four years. She was sent back to Stamps to live with her Grandmother because no one could understand the state of mind that she was in. With the constant help of a school teacher named Mrs. Flowers, Angelou began to evolve into the young girl who had possessed the pride and confidence she once had. In 1940, Angelou and her brother were sent to live with their mother again who by this time had moved to San Francisco. Life with her mother was in constant disorder; it soon became too much for her so her father came and took her to live with him and his girlfriend in their rundown trailer. Finding that life with him was no better, she ended up living in a graveyard of wrecked cars that housed homeless children. It took her a month to get back home to her mother. Angelou's dysfunctional