Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou

[Page 3] CONTENTS Title Page Acknowledgments Letter to My Daughter 1 Home 2 Philanthropy 3 Revelations 4 Giving Birth 5 Accident, Coincident, or Answered Prayer 6 To Tell the Truth 7 Vulgarity 8 Violence 9 Mother’s Long View 10 Morocco 11 Porgy and Bess 12 Bob & Decca 13 Celia Cruz [Page 4] 14 Fannie Lou Hamer 15 Senegal 16 The Eternal Silver Screen 17 In Self-Defense 18 Mrs. Coretta Scott King 19 Condolences 20 In the Valley of Humility 21 National Spirit 22 Reclaiming Southern Roots 23 Surviving 24 Salute to Older Lovers 25 Commencement Address 26 Poetry 27 Mt. Zion 28 Keep the Faith About the Author Also by Maya Angelou Copyright [Page 5] My thanks to some women who mothered me through dark and bright days, Annie Henderson Vivian Baxter Frances Williams Berdis Baldwin Amisher Glenn My thanks to one woman who allows me to be a daughter to her, even today, Dr. Dorothy Height My thanks to women not born to me but who allow me to mother them, Oprah Winfrey Rosa Johnson Butler Lydia Stuckey Valerie Simpson Constancia Romilly [Page 6] LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER Dear Daughter, This letter has taken an extraordinary time getting itself together. I have all along known that I wanted to tell you directly of some lessons I have learned and under what conditions I have learned them. My life has been long, and believing that life loves the liver of it, I have dared to try many things, sometimes trembling, but daring, still. I have only included here events and lessons which I have found use