Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, performer and civil rights activist whose work joined personal experience with a wider account of racism, identity and resilience. Her 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings brought her international recognition, and her writing remained closely connected to dignity, Black life, women’s strength and the possibilities of human change.

Quotations are frequently shortened, translated or misattributed. Verify important quotations against a reliable original or scholarly source before publishing them in academic, journalistic or commercial work.