Maya Angelou

Hello! My name is Maya Angelou, but I was born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4th, 1928. When I was little, my brother called me 'Maya,' and the name stuck! I grew up in a small town called Stamps, Arkansas, with my wonderful grandmother, who we called Momma. I loved books more than anything. Reading stories felt like opening a door to a brand-new world. For a few years when I was a girl, I stopped speaking, but a special teacher helped me find my voice again by sharing wonderful poems with me. She showed me how powerful words could be.

As I grew up, I discovered I loved to sing and dance, and I traveled all over the world performing on stage. But I also saw that the world wasn't always a fair place for everyone, especially for Black people like me. I wanted to help change that. In the 1960s, I worked with a great leader named Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to fight for civil rights, which means making sure everyone is treated equally and with kindness. I used my voice to speak up for what was right.

I decided the best way to share my story was to write it down. In 1969, I published my first book, called 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' which was about my childhood. People all over the world read it. My words became very famous! In 1993, I was asked to write and read a special poem called 'On the Pulse of Morning' when a new president, Bill Clinton, started his job. Later, in 2011, another president, Barack Obama, gave me a special award called the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It was a very proud day.

I lived a long and wonderful life, for 86 years. Even though I am not here anymore, my words are. They live on in my books and poems, waiting for you to read them. I hope my story reminds you that your voice is important and that you can use your words to make the world a brighter, kinder place for everyone.