Author and poet Maya Angelou overcame childhood trauma to become a literary giant. Her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) explored racism and resilience, becoming a classic. A civil rights activist who worked with Martin Luther King Jr., she wrote seven autobiographies and numerous poems, including "Still I Rise," celebrating Black strength. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010, she inspired with her wisdom: "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."
Author and poet Maya Angelou overcame childhood trauma to become a literary giant. Her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) explored racism and resilience, becoming a classic. A civil rights activist who worked with Martin Luther King Jr., she wrote seven autobiographies and numerous poems, including "Still I Rise," celebrating Black strength. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010, she inspired with her wisdom: "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."