Maya Angelou Online Memorial: Forever Loved and Remembered
In Loving Memory of Maya Angelou
American poet, author, and civil rights activist
4 Apr 1928 — 28 May 2014
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
Maya Angelou's Birth Location
St. Louis
Maya Angelou's Burial Location
Resting place not publicly disclosed
Maya Angelou's Death Location
Winston-Salem
Maya’s A Life Heard Around the World
From the earliest musical beginnings to the songs, performances and human connections that shaped an enduring legacy
The Sounds That Shaped a Young Life for Maya
She is especially remembered for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, a book that altered the place of memoir in American literature.
Finding an Unmistakable Voice for Maya
Angelou's life was remarkably wide-ranging. At different times she was a dancer, singer, actor, journalist, editor, teacher, professor, and organizer, as well as a poet, playwright, essayist, and memoirist.
The Work That Reached the World for Maya
She worked with major figures in the civil-rights movement, lived abroad, and moved easily between art and public life without treating them as separate callings.
Craft Behind the Public Success for Maya
Her authority came not only from accomplishment, but from the moral and emotional clarity of her voice.
Life Beyond the Stage for Maya
She wrote and spoke in ways that made endurance sound noble without ever making suffering sentimental. In 1993, she delivered 'On the Pulse of Morning' at President Bill Clinton's inauguration, becoming only the second poet to read at a U.S. presidential inauguration.
Trials Met Along the Way for Maya
Angelou died in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on May 28, 2014.
Maya’s Where the Music First Began
Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson in 1928, became one of the most influential literary and public voices in American life. Her work made autobiography a form of witness and transformed personal experience into language that helped generations think about dignity, survival, race, womanhood, and courage.
Condolence Book: Your Words for Maya
Share a memory, a message of love or words of comfort with everyone who holds Maya close.
Volume of Memories
In Loving Memory of Maya Angelou
“Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day.”
Tap or swipe to open
Tip: use the arrows or the ← → keys to turn the pages.
Maya Angelou In Rhythm, Performance and Reflection
Photographs preserving the artist at work, the person beyond the stage and the moments audiences continue to hold close
Maya: A Defining Public Moment
A carefully preserved image from Maya Angelou’s life and public story.
Memory 1 of 8
Voices That Remember Maya
Family, collaborators and listeners reflect on the voice, character and creative spirit they remember
The Life Story ofMaya Angelou
Maya’s Story, Held Close
The beginnings, relationships, creative choices and defining work behind a life that continues to resonate
Maya’s Where the Music First Began
Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson in 1928, became one of the most influential literary and public voices in American life. Her work made autobiography a form of witness and transformed personal experience into language that helped generations think about dignity, survival, race, womanhood, and courage.
The Sounds That Shaped a Young Life for Maya
She is especially remembered for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, a book that altered the place of memoir in American literature.
Finding an Unmistakable Voice for Maya
Angelou's life was remarkably wide-ranging. At different times she was a dancer, singer, actor, journalist, editor, teacher, professor, and organizer, as well as a poet, playwright, essayist, and memoirist.
The Work That Reached the World for Maya
She worked with major figures in the civil-rights movement, lived abroad, and moved easily between art and public life without treating them as separate callings.
Craft Behind the Public Success for Maya
Her authority came not only from accomplishment, but from the moral and emotional clarity of her voice.
Life Beyond the Stage for Maya
She wrote and spoke in ways that made endurance sound noble without ever making suffering sentimental. In 1993, she delivered 'On the Pulse of Morning' at President Bill Clinton's inauguration, becoming only the second poet to read at a U.S. presidential inauguration.
Trials Met Along the Way for Maya
Angelou died in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on May 28, 2014.
The Music and Memory That Remain for Maya
Her legacy lives in literature, classrooms, speeches, and the lives of readers who found in her words both permission and strength.
The People at the Heart of Maya’s Life
The family relationships and generations that belong to Maya’s story.
The Parents Who Shaped Maya’s Beginning
Beyond the Public Story: Remembering Maya
A more intimate visual remembrance of the warmth, humour and humanity that existed beyond public performance
In memory of Maya Angelou (1928–2014). Share stories, messages, and memories with family and friends.