Maya Angelou Quotes

American poet, author, and civil rights activist (1928–2014)

Maya Angelou (4 April, 1928 – 28 May, 2014), born Marguerite Annie Johnson, was an American poet, author, memoirist, actress, director, producer, writer, singer, dancer, and civil rights activist.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Birth Name: Marguerite Annie Johnson

Alternative Names: Marguerite Johnson • Marguerite Ann Johnson • Marguerite Anne Johnson

From Wikidata (CC0)

Of course I could drive. Idiots and lunatics drove cars. Why not the brilliant Marguerite Johnson?

He watched her every move and when she left the room, his eyes allowed her reluctantly to go.

Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.

My obsession with pineapples nearly drove me mad. I dreamt of the days when I would be grown and able to buy a whole carton for myself alone.

I am a big bird winging over high mountains, down into serene valleys. I am ripples of waves on silver seas. I'm a spring leaf trembling in anticipation of full growth.

It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength. We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter their color; equal in importance no matter their texture.

change everything you don’t like about your life. But when you come to a thing you can’t change, then change the way you think about it. You’ll see it new, and maybe a new way to change it.

Even if they were society's pariahs, they were going to be angels in a marble white heaven and sit on the right hand of Jesus, the Son of God.

Sugar cane reach up to God
And every baby crying
Shame the blanket of my night
And all my days are dying

Annie, everybody has a policy. In this world you have to have a policy. Now, my policy is I don't treat colored people.

I am Woman, Phenomenally, Phenomenal Woman, that's me.

I was always yours to have.
You were always mine.
We have loved each other in and out of time.

On late evenings when
quiet inhabits my garden
when grass sleeps and
streets are only paths for silent mist

I seem to remember

Smiling.

We are missing Michael. But we do know we had him, and we are the world.

Though we are many, each of us is achingly alone, piercingly alone. Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us and we did have him. He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance. Despite the anguish, his life was sheathed in mother love, family love, and survived and did more than that. He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style. We had him whether we know who he was or did not know, he was ours and we were his.