Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou

American poet, memoirist, civil rights activist, and one of the defining literary voices of the late twentieth century. Born in 1928 in St. Louis, she lived through years of mute silence after childhood trauma, then through dancing, singing, journalism, and revolutionary work — corresponding with Malcolm X in Ghana, working on the Selma to Montgomery March with King — before her seven-volume autobiography (beginning with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1969) made her one of the most-read American writers. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010, recited On the Pulse of Morning at Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993, and produced poetry — Phenomenal Woman, Still I Rise — that has become contemporary scripture for several generations of readers. She died in 2014 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

118

quotes in library

Quotes by Maya Angelou

118 quotes
Here on the pulse of this new day, you may have the courage to look up and out and upon me, the rock, the river, the tree, your country.
courageOn the Pulse of Morning
Good Morning.
morningOn the Pulse of Morning
Each one of us is the architect of our own being.
architectLetter to My Daughter
In every age, the artist tells us where we have been and where we may be going.
artistLetter to My Daughter
To be human is to be in the long song of becoming.
becomingLetter to My Daughter
In every life, the river of grief flows. Cross it. Do not stay.
griefWouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now
Joy is not given. It is recognized.
joyLetter to My Daughter
There is no truer mirror than another person's love.
loveLetter to My Daughter
You are loved more than you know.
loveLetter to My Daughter
Be the person you would want to meet.
becomingLetter to My Daughter
To bring grace into the world is the work of a lifetime.
graceLetter to My Daughter
In the long song, every voice matters.
voiceLetter to My Daughter
In every dawn, the choice to rise.
dawnOn the Pulse of Morning
Phenomenal woman. Phenomenal you.
phenomenalPhenomenal Woman
Beloved. You are. You are loved. You are. Phenomenal.
affirmationLetter to My Daughter
People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
people-firstSpeeches and interviews
People don't remember what you said or what you did, they remember how you made them feel.
audience-connectionVarious interviews and speeches
PreviousPage 6 of 6

Explore More Teachers

Discover wisdom from 500+ spiritual teachers across all traditions.

Browse All Teachers