"I Got My Own Back"- Women’s Day 2020

Sunday 8th of March 2020

"I Got My Own Back"- Women’s Day 2020

Every year, 8th of March is marked as the International Women’s Day. The theme for 2020 is EachforEqual, recognising all of the actions we can take as individuals. Recognising powerful women around the world, here’s the story of Maya Angelou.

Apart from being one of the best writers, Angelou was also a cook, waitress, dancer, actor, playwright, editor at an English-language newspaper in Egypt, Calypso singer, and cast member of the opera Porgy and Bess.

She had an eventful early life- a struggling one. She wrote in her ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ book about how her mother’s boyfriend raped her when she was a child. After she testified against the man, several of her uncles beat him to death. Believing that she had caused the man's death by speaking his name, Angelou refused to speak for approximately five years.

After her first book became a huge success, Angelou continued to gift the world with her works. Angelou's poetry, with its short lyrics and jazzy rhythms, is especially popular among young people.

Angelou has received many awards for her work, including a nomination for National Book Award in 1970, a Pulitzer Prize nomination in 1972, a Tony Award nomination for best-supporting actress in 1977 for Roots. She was also named Woman of the Year in Communications by Ladies' Home Journal, 1976, and one of the top one hundred most influential women by Ladies' Home Journal, 1983.

“Courage – you develop courage by doing small things like just as if you wouldn’t want to pick up a 100-pound weight without preparing yourself” – Maya Angelou.