Celebrated poet, novelist Dr. Maya Angelou, best known for her series of seven autobiographies. Through her work, she collaborated with Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X during the Civil Rights Movement. In 1993, she recited her Poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration. She died on May 28th, 2014 at the age 86.
While she is still celebrated, what you may not know is that she had a direct connection to the Caribbean via her grandfather. Yes, she did!
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Her mother’s family hails from Trinidad, and Angelou, originally named Marguerite Johnson, was born to Vivian Baxter Johnson. Vivian’s father and grandfather immigrated to the United States from the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, arriving in Tampa, Florida, on a banana boat.
Angelou’s grandfather, proud to be an American, made it known to everyone, unaware that mere desire did not grant citizenship. Angelou humorously remarked that had Donald Trump been president at the time, he might have deported them as illegal immigrants.
Angelou’s parents’ tumultuous relationship led to their separation, described by Angelou as akin to “matches and gasoline.” After the divorce, she experienced a strained relationship with her mother,
exacerbated when she was raped during that period. Subsequently, her mother sent her and her brother to live with their paternal grandmother, who raised them for several years before their mother reclaimed them. During ages 7 to 13, Angelou chose to be mute, communicating only with her brother. It was during this period that she began to express herself through writing, a journey she recounts in her book “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”
While Angelou didn’t directly attribute her Caribbean heritage to her career’s trajectory, her familiarity with calypso and her transformation into an exotic persona on stage likely contributed to her fame in the 1950s. Calypso was popular with white audiences during this era, though African-American performers faced limited acceptance. Angelou released her album “Miss Calypso” in 1957, featuring compositions and performances infused with island beats. She also collaborated with Harry Belafonte on calypso stage shows. Despite some critics’ lukewarm reviews, her presence and stage charisma garnered attention.
Blues legend Billie Holiday, upon witnessing Angelou’s performance, predicted her future fame wouldn’t be tied to singing—an assessment that proved accurate. While Angelou’s singing voice received mixed reviews, her stage presence and persona were undeniable. Her album “Miss Calypso” was reissued in 1995 on CD.
Reflecting on her Trinidadian heritage, Angelou shared in a 2010 interview with the Trinidad Express Newspaper that she learned much about the country from her mother, including cooking traditional dishes like codfish, okra, and greens. She also mentioned her close friendship with acclaimed writer Paule Marshall, who shares West Indian roots.
She would have been 95 years old this year.
