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She was born to her mother, Vivian Baxter Johnson, and her father, Bailey Johnson -
When Maya was 8 she was raped by her mothers boyfriend after her parents had divorced. We know him by Freeman. -
Shortly after Maya was raped she moved in with her grandparents and then later dropped out of school -
Maya started to study dance at San Francisco's Labor School -
At this time Maya was studying modern dance in San Francisco, and spent a year studying African dance with Pearl Primus in New York
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Maya first album was called Calypso Lady -
Maya has recorded her first album "Miss Calypso"
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Maya moved to Ghana where she taught at the Ghana School of Music and Drama -
Maya wrote the screenplay of Georgia, Georgia. Hers was the first to be written by an African American and to be published -
Maya won the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album -
Maya received this medal from President Barack Obama -
Sadly Maya Angelou passes away at 86