| Moved with her parents to California as an infant |
| Performed in nightclubs |
| Served as Assistant Administrator of School of Music and Drama, University of Ghana; contributed to Ghanian Broadcasting Corporation during this period |
| Was a dancer with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company |
| Was feature editor of THE AFRICAN REVIEW |
1932 | Sent with her brother to live with her paternal grandmother in Stamp, Arkansas after parents separated (date approximate) |
1936 | Moved back to her mother's house in San Francisco; raped at age 7 1/2 by one of her mother's boyfriends (date approximate) |
1936 | Mute for five years until an older friend back in Arkansas helped her deal with the problem (dates approximate) |
1954 | Toured European and African cities in "Porgy and Bess" for US State Department |
1957 | Acted off-Broadway in "Calypso Heatwave" |
1957 | Feature film debut, "Calypso Heat Wave" |
1960 | Produced and acted in "Cabaret for Freedom" at NYC's Village Gate |
1961 | Played Queen in NYC theatrical production of Jean Genet's "The Blacks" |
1966 | Two plays of hers, "The Least of These" and "The Clawing Within", received productions |
1968 | Co-wrote songs for feature film, "For Love of Ivy" |
1972 | Received Pulitzer Prize nomination in poetry for "Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'fore I Die" |
1972 | Wrote the screenplay and songs for the feature film, "Georgia, Georgia"; reputedly the first produced script by an African-American woman |
1973 | Debuted on Broadway in "Look Away", earning a Tony nomination |
1974 | Directed short film "All Day Long"; also scripted |
1975 | Co-hosted, with Studs Terkel, George F Will and Doris Stearns, the PBS interview series, "Assignment America" |
1976 | Librettist, lyricist and composer for the musical "And Still I Rise"; directed production in Oakland, California |
1977 | Played Nyo Boto on the landmark TV miniseries, "Roots" (ABC) |
1979 | Co-wrote teleplay for CBS adaptation of "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" |
1981 | Appointed to a lifetime posiition as the Reynolds professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
1982 | Wrote the screenplay for "Sister, Sister", an NBC-TV movie |
1989 | Appeared in the feature documentary "James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket" |
1990 | Wrote the premiere episode of the TV drama series, "Brewster Place" (ABC) |
1993 | Acted in ABC-TV movie "There Are No Children Here", starring Oprah Winfrey |
1993 | Presented poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at the Presidential inauguration; written specifically for the event at President Bill Clinton's request |
1993 | Supplied the poetry "written" by the character of Justice (Janet Jackson) in John Singleton's "Poetic Justice"; also played Aunt Jane |
1995 | Portrayed Alfre Woodard's mother in "How to Make an American Quilt" |
1996 | Provided narration and music for "Perfect Moment" documentary |
1996 | Wrote the screenplay for "Angelou on Burns", a documentary exploring her passion for the poetry of Robert Burns |
1998 | Feature directorial debut, "Down in the Delta" |
