Angelou was born in a. Arkansas b. Missouri c. Georgia
In 1969, Angelou a. took her first acting role b. published her first memoir c. wrote her first poems
In Egypt and Ghana, Angelou worked as a. a teacher b. a bookseller c. a journalist
Discussion/essay questions
I Know Where the Caged Bird Sings has been praised for its honesty about racism and sexual violence, but it has also been challenged and censored. Why do you think this is? What are the effects of censorship?
Transcript
Maya Angelou was an American writer and activist. She was born in Missouri in 1928, with the name Marguerite Johnson. When she was 3 years old, Angelou moved to Arkansas to live with her grandmother. During her childhood, trauma from a sexual assault caused her to stop speaking for several years. She would later describe her difficult childhood in her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelou had many occupations throughout her life. Before she became famous as a writer, she acted in plays and performed songs at nightclubs. Angelou also contributed to the American civil rights movement, working with activists like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. She even worked as a journalist in Egypt and Ghana. Throughout her life, Angelou published seven memoirs and fourteen poetry collections. She died in 2014, at age 86.
Although the civil rights movement ended a long time ago, racism did not. In recent years, a new movement called Black Lives Matter has gained international support. This movement aims to end racism and abuse of power within the police system. What are some of the major similarities and differences between this movement and the movement of the 1960s?
Transcript
John Lewis was an American activist and politician. He was born in 1940 in Troy, Alabama. When Lewis was growing up, segregation was still common in Southern states. As a teenager, Lewis was inspired by the speeches of activist Martin Luther King, Jr. While he was a student in college, Lewis became involved in the American civil rights movement, which aimed to gain equal rights and opportunities for Black people. He even helped to organize the March on Washington, one of the most important events of the entire movement. Lewis continued to advocate for the rights of Black Americans long after the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. He decided to run for office in the 1980s to help marginalized communities. Lewis was elected to Congress in 1986, and he served until his death in 2020.
Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired many people to stand up for the civil rights movement. Can you think of a time that you stood up for something you believed in?
Transcript
Famous activist Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1929. Like most black Americans living in the South back then, King faced discrimination growing up. At age 15, he spent a summer in the North. He was surprised to see that in northern states, people of all races could go to the same churches and eat in the same restaurants. This inspired him to fight against segregation in the South. Nine years later, King moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where he became the leader of a civil rights organization. He led several peaceful protests, which eventually led to the passing of the Civil Rights Act. This act outlawed racial discrimination. King was killed in 1968, but his accomplishments allowed black Americans to keep fighting for equality. He is still commemorated today.
