Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Ann Johnson, is an internationally respected poet, dancer, actress, writer, playwright, and civil rights activist from St. Louis. She became one of the great voices of contemporary black literature in 1969 with her first autobiographical work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelou worked with both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King to advance the rights of African Americans. She is a close friend and mentor to Oprah Winfrey. Angelou has won numerous awards and honors for her writing, including reading her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993.

Unless otherwise noted, text and images © 2007, State Historical Society of Missouri