Celebrities Maya Angelou, Birthday: 4 April 1928, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

On love: The loss of young first love is so painful that it borders on the ludicrous.

[on the George Zimmerman acquittal] A number of people think that only blacks were hurt, that Africa...Show more »

[on the George Zimmerman acquittal] A number of people think that only blacks were hurt, that African Americans were hurt by this decision, but that is not true. All you have to do is look at the protesters - they are white and black, Spanish-speaking and Asian. What is really injured - bruised if you will - is the psyche of our national population. We are all harmed. We are all belittled, and we give to the rest of the world more ammunition to sneer at us. It really makes me see how far we have to go, that one man armed with a gun can actually profile a young man because he is black and end up shooting him dead. It is so painful. Show less «

I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go...Show more »

I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. Show less «

At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistanc...Show more »

At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice. Show less «

The quality of strength lined with tenderness is an unbeatable combination, as are intelligence and ...Show more »

The quality of strength lined with tenderness is an unbeatable combination, as are intelligence and necessity when unblunted by formal education. Show less «

Success is liking yourself.

[on Michelle Obama] Philosophers tell us that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely....Show more »

[on Michelle Obama] Philosophers tell us that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Mrs. Obama is as if it doesn't touch her. She hasn't tried to become anybody else's idea of First Lady. She has remained herself, with her grace, her gentleness, and her sense of humor. That she would dare to wear clothes off the rack, or go out and garden, or have a grandmother in the White House - she knows how to be a public figure without being separate from her family. Show less «

On experience: A cynical young person is almost the saddest sight to see, because it means that he o...Show more »

On experience: A cynical young person is almost the saddest sight to see, because it means that he or she has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing. Show less «

Love is that condition in the human spirit so profound that it allows me to survive, and better than...Show more »

Love is that condition in the human spirit so profound that it allows me to survive, and better than that, to thrive with passion, compassion, and style. Show less «

By love I mean that condition in the human spirit so profound, it encourages us to the develop coura...Show more »

By love I mean that condition in the human spirit so profound, it encourages us to the develop courage and then bridges, and then to trust those bridges and cross the bridges in attempts to reach other human beings. Show less «

I like to have guns around. I don't like to carry them.

On childhood: Few, if any survive their teens. Most surrender to the vague but murderous pressure of...Show more »

On childhood: Few, if any survive their teens. Most surrender to the vague but murderous pressure of adult conformity. Show less «

If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.

Everything in the universe has rhythm. Everything dances.

[observation at 85] I've still not written as well as I want to. I want to write so that the reader ...Show more »

[observation at 85] I've still not written as well as I want to. I want to write so that the reader in Des Moines, Iowa, in Kowloon, China, in Cape Town, South Africa can say, 'You know, that's the truth. I wasn't there , and I wasn't a six-foot black girl, but that's the truth'. Show less «

I think men are as crazy as they were, and women as crazy as they were.. I've never had a dislike fo...Show more »

I think men are as crazy as they were, and women as crazy as they were.. I've never had a dislike for men. I've been badly mistreated by some. But I've been loved greatly by some. I married a lot of them. Show less «

[describing herself] A too- big Negro girl, with nappy black hair, broad feet, and a space between h...Show more »

[describing herself] A too- big Negro girl, with nappy black hair, broad feet, and a space between her teeth that would hold a number-two pencil. Show less «

[on reconnecting with her mother who had abandoned her ten years before] I didn't know her. I didn't...Show more »

[on reconnecting with her mother who had abandoned her ten years before] I didn't know her. I didn't trust her. But I began to like her because she was kind. I said, 'I'd like to call you Lady'. She told everybody, "Call me Lady from now on'. Amazing. And she was kind to people, all sorts of people - white ones and black ones and Spanish-speaking ones. If they needed something, my mother was the one. Show less «

Self-pity in its early stage is as snug as a feather mattress. Only when it hardens does it become u...Show more »

Self-pity in its early stage is as snug as a feather mattress. Only when it hardens does it become uncomfortable. Show less «

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain...Show more »

If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain. Show less «

Children's talent to endure stems from their ignorance of alternatives.

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will...Show more »

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Show less «

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou's FILMOGRAPHY

Maya Angelou'S roles

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