Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou [1928 - 2014] was an author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, stage and screen producer, director, performer and civil rights activist. She wrote seven autobiographies, three books of essays and several books of poetry over 50 years. Her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, made literary history as the first nonfiction bestseller by a Black woman. Her works, which center on themes such as racism, identity, family and travel, are considered by some to be a defense of Black culture.