Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist whose work joined personal narrative with explorations of race, identity, resilience, and social justice. Her 1969 autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, brought her international recognition and became the first of seven autobiographical volumes. Angelou also served as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Northern Coordinator, taught at Wake Forest University, and recited “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration.