Life In Accra And Work At University Of Ghana

In 1962, Maya Angelou moved to Accra, Ghana, accompanying her teenage son Guy Johnson as he pursued higher education. The relocation marked a significant period in her life, as she joined a community of African American expatriates living in the newly independent West African nation. While in Ghana, Angelou worked as a journalist and educator, contributing to publications such as The African Review and engaging with writers, activists, and political figures. Angelou remained in Ghana from 1962 until 1965. During this time, she explored questions of identity, heritage, and belonging while interacting with both Ghanaian society and the expatriate community. Her experiences included travel, professional work, and friendships with other African American intellectuals living abroad. The period also placed her within broader conversations about Pan Africanism and post colonial African politics. Angelou later chronicled these years in All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes, published in 1986 as the fifth volume of her autobiographical series. The memoir documents her attempt to connect with African cultural roots and her eventual realization that her American identity remained central to her sense of self. The Ghana years became a defining chapter in her life story and a bridge to later events, including her return to the United States and involvement with civil rights activism.