After her parents divorced when she was three, Maya and her brother were sent to live with her grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. Maya referred to her grandmother as "momma." Her grandmother tried nothing more but to instill religion as an important part of Maya's life.

Maya experienced racism while living in Arkansas. She became use to the taunting from white children and the fact that her clothes were hand-me-downs from white women. One of her earliest memories is her being refused treatment by a white dentist.

As a child, Maya dreamed of waking to find her "nappy black hair" metamorphosed into a "long, blonde bob" because life was better for a white girl than it was for a black girl. (www.geocities.com/Athens/1523/index.html)

After five years of living with her grandmother, Maya and her brother were sent back to live with their mother in St. Louis.

At age eight, Maya was raped by her mother's boyfriend. She confided in her brother about what had happened to her and shortly thereaft

Maya Angelou is a poet, historian, author, actress, playwright, civil rights activist, producer, and director. She has published 10 best selling books and received several Pulitzer Prize and National book award nominations. Dr. Angelou is fluent in French, English, Spanish, Italian, and West African Fanti.

Maya Angelou is currently a quest speaker at several institutions around the United States. She has made several appearances on Oprah. Maya Angelou was asked to compose a poem for President Clinton's inauguration. On January 20th, 1993 Ms. Angelou performed "On the Pulse of the Morning" at President Clintons inauguration.

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Approximate Word count = 805
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)