ST. LOUIS – A phenomenal woman who St. Louis claims as one of its own is Maya Angelou. She was born in a house on Hickory Street in St. Louis in 1928 as Marguerite Johnson.
The author and poet wrote words exuding confidence and dignity. She was also nominated for an Emmy Award for her acting in ‘Roots’ and her screenplay ‘Georgia.’ She was also a civil rights activist.
President Barack Obama honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010. Before that, she was the first black woman to write and recite a poem at the presidential inauguration of President Bill Clinton. To honor her, she recently became the first black woman to appear on the U.S. quarter.
Her catalog of poetry, non-fiction, and fiction has earned her 30 best-selling titles. She even has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame on Delmar.
As Angelou said in one of her most famous poems, “I rise, bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave; I am the dream and the hope of the slave.”