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Maya Angelou Maya Angelou is an African American poet, educator, playwright, American author, historian, editor, actress, director, civil-rights activist, producer, performer, composer, and entertainer. Above all a writer-of poems, plays, songs, screenplays, and newspaper and magazine articles, as well as four autobiographies. This author of candid autobiographical works was born on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her given and family name was Marguerite Johnson; however, her brother nicknamed her Maya. Although born in St. Louis, Angelou spent most of her childhood in rural Stamps, Arkansas in care of her grandmother. Angelou, age 8, was raped by her mother’s boyfriend, causing her to go through an extended period of muteness. At the age of 16, she graduated from high school and gave birth to her son, Guy. Then began to work with cooking and waitressing. Later she became a nightclub performer and began