Re: Maya Angelou died (28-5-2014)

On 2024-05-29 10:59:23 +0000, Ross Clark said:

African-American writer and activist.

African American? She was born in the USA of American parents, lived in the USA, worked in the USA, and died in the USA. She was American. She may have had some ancestors from Africa, but that doesn't make her African. I have very recent ancestors from Ireland (including my mother), but I am not Irish.

Born Marguerite Annie Johnson, St.Louis, Missouri, 1928.
 For about five years in her childhood, she was mute (did not speak), as a reaction to traumatic events. This was an important factor in determining the direction of her life.
 "Maya": a childhood nickname given by her brother
"Angelou": from Angelos, a Greek man she was married to 1951-54.
She took on the exotic name at a time when she was working as a night-club "calypso" dancer.
 Her writings are familiar to many school children these days, but have been banned in some places.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Angelou

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Athel -- French and British, living in Marseilles for 37 years; mainly in England until 1987.