Maya Angelou

Born: 1928 St. Louis, MO

Died: 2014

American poet, writer and civil rights activist; she was a well-respected spokesperson for blacks & women.

Published 7 autobiographies, 3 books of essays, poetry books, 2 cookbooks, plus did plays, movies & TV shows.

Experienced racial discrimination causing her to develop strong belief in African-American culture & values.

Her books have been criticized (and loved) for their bold subject matter.

Fun fact: She was the first black street car conductor in San Francisco.

She was friends with Nelson Mandela.

Said: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”