She used her poetry as an outlet for her own trauma, channelling the pain she had endured into something beautiful that would help others heal. Her words were powerful enough to inspire millions around the world, providing hope in times of darkness. She overcame great hardship through her strength and bravery to become an acclaimed author and activist who won the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Book Award. Maya Angelou was a poet of empowerment, a woman whose life story is one of resilience and courage. There, she found solace in books and music which became outlets for expressing what words could not capture.Īlthough these creative activities offered some measure of relief from the psychological turmoil she faced, it wasn’t until much later that Angelou started writing poetry as a way to confront the pain of her past while also finding peace within herself. Louis at age fourteen and travelling south to live with her grandmother in Arkansas. In an effort to cope with this traumatic experience and its aftermath, Angelou attempted suicide multiple times before eventually leaving St. This single incident significantly impacted how she viewed herself and those around her for many years to come.

At only eight years old, she experienced a childhood trauma that would have lasting effects on her life Angelou had been raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Image by ExpressĪt the start of her life, Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Maya Angelou rose above not only the physical but also emotional traumas she faced growing up by embracing them instead of running away from them – ultimately leading towards inner strength and purposeful living.Īt only eight years old, she experienced a childhood trauma that would have lasting effects on her life Maya Angelou’s Childhood Trauma. It was here that she realized her true potential and wrote about topics like racial injustice using both poetry and prose. Maya endured a childhood filled with abuse and racism that would later inform her own writing and activism throughout her life.Īt just 8 years old she began speaking publicly at churches around town while singing spirituals alongside her brother Bailey Jr.ĭespite such difficult beginnings Angelou persevered through it all and found solace in literature which became a source of self-expression for her as well as hope for a better future.ĭetermined to make something of herself Maya Angelou went on to join the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s where she worked alongside some of the most influential African American leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, James Baldwin, Rosa Parks etc. Born Marguerite Johnson on April 4th 1928 in St.

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