Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Scottie Pippen: These are just a few of many celebrity ties to Arkansas. While several movie stars, musicians, and notable figures were born right here in the Natural State, others moved here later on and felt the deep impact of our state’s culture and influence. One such person is Dr. Maya Angelou, an American poet, singer, and civil rights activist who grew up in the town of Stamps, Arkansas.
Of all the famous people from Arkansas, Dr. Angelou’s unique ties to the state helped influence her transformative career. While she was born in St. Louis, Missouri, she moved to the tiny town of Stamps, where, in our humble opinion, her life story and namesake truly began. Want to learn more about her impact on Arkansas pop culture history? Read on.
Why This Celebrity Connection Still Fascinates Arkansas Residents
At first mention, the town of Stamps might not ring a bell to many folks. In fact, the quaint little town in Arkansas is only known for one thing…the place where Dr. Maya Angelou grew up. Whether you know her as a writer, poet, singer, or civil rights activist, Dr. Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Annie Johnson, is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in American history.
And with all that she accomplished in her life, some folks might be surprised to learn that her childhood home is right here in Stamps, Arkansas. At the age of 3, Maya and her brother Bailey Jr. came to the sleepy little town to live with their paternal grandmother, the only Black business owner in the community. This was in 1931, after her parents got divorced.
The Arkansas Town Behind Maya Angelou’s Story
To this day, Stamps, Arkansas, is a small town in Lafayette County with just over 1,000 residents. But it was likely even smaller when Dr. Angelou came to live here. She lived here until she was a teenager, attending the Brown Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and the Lafayette County Training School. While the church remains open, the training school is permanently closed and considered a historic landmark.
Unfortunately, Angelou’s childhood in Stamps was marred by much turmoil as she endured some traumatic events. But through adversity, survival, and several moves across the U.S. and world, she wrote her renowned 1970 autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”…