Thomas 1

Melissa Thomas
Mini-Research: Maya Angelou

Task:
● Using at least 4 credible sources, research the Life and Legacy of author Maya
Angelou following the guide below.
● Create a works cited page. Alphabetical order, reverse indentation, double-
spaced. Title it: Works Cited (centered)
● Create a parenthetical citation for each piece of information found from a different
source.

Purpose:
● To gain exposure to a famous American writer.
● To demonstrate research skills by using credible sources to gather information
and correctly cite them.
● To gain understanding of the cultural landscape of an author’s life and how it
affects the creation of text.

*DO NOT COPY & PASTE TEXT UNLESS DIRECTED. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE.

1.) What year was Maya Angelou born, and when did she die?
Maya Angelou was born on April 4th, 1928 and died on May 28th, 2014 (“Maya
Angelou.”).

2.) Why was Maya Angelou a volunteer mute for five years?
She believed that she killed the man who raped her with her voice by mentioning
his name in trial. The man was her mother’s boyfriend. The only person she talked to was
her brother (Connors).

3.) What are at least three of Angelou’s occupations through the years.
She was the first black female cable car conductor, she had an acting and singing
career, and she lived in Ghana as an editor and freelance writer (“Maya Angelou.”).

4.) Infer: What do these experiences / details reveal or show about Angelou’s life?
The various jobs that she held shows her diversity and experience in different
areas of work. Despite being traumatized as a child, I think that she was able to put that
situation to the side and become prosperous in her jobs. She was successful in these
jobs because she wanted the best for her son but also did activities she loved. Working
at these jobs gave her great opportunities like performing on broadway.
 Thomas 2

5.) Who are the people who influenced Angelou throughout her life?
Martin Luther King and Malcolm X influenced her life because she was inspired to
become an activist for civil rights. I think that not only people, but her experiences with
racism and injustice are what motivate her to fights against that and stand up even more
for civil rights (“Maya Angelou.” Poetry Foundation).

6.) Create a meaningful and higher level question about Maya Angelou. Research for the
answer. Question: After being raped and as you grew older, how have you viewed men
and how have your relationship with them been like?

Answer: In an interview, she states that she doesn’t hate men and actually
married a few despite being raped. She doesn’t view all men as evil but instead she says
“...I think men are as crazy as they were and women are as crazy as they were.” I
interpreted this as her saying that both genders have their flaws and we shouldn’t
stereotype based on certain situations. The full response from the interview that
answered my questions was, “No, I think men are as crazy as they were and women
as crazy as they were. I think it’s wise when women say what they like and don’t
like and will and won’t take. Men ought to do the same. I’ve never had a dislike for
men. I’ve been badly treated by some. But I’ve been loved greatly by some. I
married a lot of them.” She was able to grow mentally from her experiences which
makes her a role model to many ( Luscombe ).

7.) FInd a famous quote by Maya Angelou that you particularly like. Copy and paste it
here. Don’t forget to cite this source on your works cited page.
"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." - Maya
Angelou (Anglis 5 ).

*Explain what this quote means to you.

If something doesn’t please us, we can change our perspective on it for the better. We
should have a more optimistic approach on life especially towards situations that may be
out of our control.

8.) Find a meaningful quote that a credible person says about Maya Angelou. Copy &
paste it here. Don’t forget to cite this source on your works cited page.
“But in "Caged Bird," Angelou's voice especially spoke to young women – young
black women, but also young white women, who, even if they had not been raped
or assaulted, always lived with the knowledge and fear of that trauma.” (Connors).

What does this quote show about Maya Angelou? What can you glean about what kind
of person she was, what she valued, how she contributed to the world?
After being raped, she wanted to inspire other young women despite their race. This
quote is powerful because it speaks to many people around the world who may live in
 Thomas 3

fear due to these kind of situations. She was a caring woman because she wanted the
best for others, fought for what she believed in, and expressed her opinions righteously.

*( ) A parenthetical citation: indicates from which site you got that specific
information. Only the first word or phrase of the bibliographic citation goes into the
parentheses. Examples:

Citation for Work Cited Page:

“Hoecake.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/hoecake.

“The Hoe Cake, 1946 by Horace Pippin.” My Favorite Arts, theartstack.com/artist/horace-

pippin/hoe-cake-1946.

Parenthetical Citations for the above:

(“Hoecake”)

(“The Hoe Cake”)

https://www.biography.com/people/maya-angelou-9185388

https://www.cleveland.com/books/index.ssf/2014/05/maya_angelou_who_silenced_her.html

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/maya-angelou

https://www.womansworld.com/posts/quotes-by-maya-angelou-152663

http://time.com/123087/10-questions-with-maya-angelou/

Works Cited
 Thomas 4

Anglis, Jaclyn. “Our Favorite Maya Angelou Quotes That Still Inspire Us Today.” Woman's

World, Woman's World, 18 Jan. 2019, www.womansworld.com/posts/quotes-by-maya-

angelou-152663.

Connors, Joanna, and Joanna Connors. “Maya Angelou, Who Silenced Her Voice as a Child,

Made It a Force in Her Memoirs.” Cleveland.com, Cleveland.com, 29 May 2014,

www.cleveland.com/books/index.ssf/2014/05/maya_angelou_who_silenced_her.html.

Luscombe, Belinda. “10 Questions With Maya Angelou.” Time, Time, 8 Apr. 2013,

time.com/123087/10-questions-with-maya-angelou/.

“Maya Angelou.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 8 Jan. 2019,

www.biography.com/people/maya-angelou-9185388.

“Maya Angelou.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/maya-

angelou.