Marguerite Annie Johnson Angelou (April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014), widely known as Maya Angelou, was an American author, actress, screenwriter, dancer, poet, and civil rights activist. This celebrated, inspiring, and prolific woman is best known for a multitude of accomplishments.

Photo above right, Maya Angelou at Bill Clinton’s inauguration courtesy of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Wikimedia Commons.

Her 1969 memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, made literary history as the first nonfiction best-seller by an African American woman. Read More→