When Maya went to the Waldorf Astoria hotel what happened?

In Chapter Fourteen, Maya attended an event at the Waldorf Astoria, during which she made a huge scene. Angelou and Make (her husband) were invited to the Waldorf to a gathering with the ambassador, and although Angelou was intelligent and spoke several languages, no one talked to her. Eventually, she ended up in the kitchen with the cook, talking and drinking, which caused a huge argument between Maya and Make. This event completely embarrassed Make.