Letter to My Daughter

The world knew Maya Angelou as a poet but in her heart, she was a teacher. She was quoted as saying, “I teach all the time, as you do and as all of you do—whether we know it or not, whether we take responsibility for it or not.” Maya attributed part of her success to a traumatic childhood that lead to her not talking for six years. When she finally did speak, she had a lot to say. She’s was an actress, singer, dancer, poet, mother, civil rights advocate, motivational speaker, and teacher. Over the years, she has written more than 30 books, including children’s books and cookbooks, and she taught at Wake Forest for 32 years. Although she had one son, she wrote a book, Letter to My Daughter, recalling her mother’s advice, humorous stories, and giving advice freely to her thousands of daughters around the world. Through her books, she freely speaks honestly and openly to everyone with a firm belief in God and family.

Submitted by Karen Andrews, karen.andrews@transplace.com.