Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou had a turbulent childhood, living with various relatives and being sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend at age eight. Angelou’s early life was documented in her 1969 novel, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which brought her international acclaim as a writer. Prior to publishing Caged Bird, Angelou worked as a successful dancer, singer, and civil rights activist, serving as the Northern Organizer for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In her career as a writer, Angelou has published seven autobiographies, as well as plays, screenplays, and many volumes of poetry. Angelou has also had a successful career as an actor, narrator, and lecturer.