Marguerite Annie Johnson was born in St. Louis on April 4, 1928. Her family was made up of her father Bailey, he mother Vivian and her older brother Bailey Jr. who called her Maya. Maya's father spoke French and had served in the navy. As a black man living in St. Louis, he was looked down upon so he decided to move his family to California where he found work as a doorman.
When she was three-years-old, Maya's parents divorced and she and Bailey Jr. were sent to live with their grandmother, Miss Annie in Stamps, Arkansas. Miss Annie owned a general store and she also owned land that white people lived on. The store was filled with oranges, onions, boxes of soda crackers and tins of sardines. Miss Annie's store was the heart of the town, where other Negroes came to eat and where barbers set up shop in the shade and where troubadours made music.
Sunday mornings, Maya attended church with Miss Annie. On other days, Maya learned to read and write. She read the words of many great poets including Shakespeare, Paul Laurence Dunbar and Langston Hughes. Uncle Willie taught Maya how to do math. When the Klansmen came looking for Willie, Maya and Bailey Jr. hid him in a crate topped off with onions and potatoes.
When Maya was six-years-old she, along with Bailey, returned to living with her mother. When she was seven, Maya was assaulted by her mother's boyfriend. He had told her not to tell anyone but Maya told her brother Bailey and he told their mother. A few days later, the man who hurt Maya died and she believed this was because she spoke out. Maya thought that if she had kept quiet, he might still be alive. So she stopped speaking.
When she would not speak, Maya's mother believed that maybe sending her back to Arkansas might help. So she and Bailey returned to Momma's home. There Maya felt that she would not be forced to speak and she didn't for five years. Instead she listened and took in the words spoken around her.
It was a family friend, Ms. Flowers who unlocked Maya's words. When she wouldn't speak, Ms. Flowers read poetry to Maya. She could see however that Maya loved poetry and she explained to her "you can't really love poetry unless you say it out loud...You can't really love poetry till you speak it, till you let the words in you out." Maya took a poetry book and began reading the words aloud.
When she was sixteen-years-old, Maya gave birth to a son, Guy Bailey Johnson. To support herself and her son, Maya began singing Calypso at the Purple Onion Night Club in San Francisco. She danced and sang, travelling with a group of performers across Europe and the Middle East.
When Maya moved to Harlem she met many people involved in the civil rights movement including James Baldwin and Martin Luther King Jr.The murder of King resulted in Maya losing her voice for five days. Her Cabaret For Freedom donated all its money to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to support King's cause. The 1960's saw Maya travel to Ghana where she taught at the University of Ghana and also hosted Malcolm X. After the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., Maya began telling her own stories. Soon everyone wanted to read and hear Maya's stories. Editor Robert Loomis encouraged her to let him publish them. Her first book was titled I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. Maya's words were heard by millions at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton.
Discussion
This exquisite picture book biography offers young readers a gentle portrayal of Maya Angelou's life s0 fraught with difficulties and trauma. Renee Watson captures the determination, fortitude and perseverance of a woman who had a difficult childhood. Maya succeeded despite a broken home, sexual abuse, single motherhood and racial discrimination. Despite all these hardships, Maya lived a rich life, was involved in the civil rights movement and had many different careers as a performer, writer, and poet. Afraid that her voice was powerful enough to kill people, she eventually discovered that her voice was a tool for empowerment.
Author Renee Watson has found inspiration in Maya Angelou's words, her poetry and her life. As has been the case in her own life, Watson hopes that "...young readers are inspired by Maya Angelou's story, that they know the power of their own voice, that they use it to whisper, to shout, I am here. My story matters. I am here!"
The major events of Maya's life are vividly captured by artist Bryan Collier's illustrations rendered in watercolour and collage. In his Illustrator's Note, Collier mentions his use of colours to portray certain emotions; blue for sadness and bright colours when Maya is happy. His beautiful watercolours of Maya capture a rich spectrum of emotions and bring to life this most fascinating woman.
Maya's Song is a great introduction for young readers to the amazing Maya Angelou.
Maya's Song by Renee Watson
New York: HarperCollins Childrens Books 2022
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