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."​

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