Born in Missouri in 1928, Maya Angelou had a difficult childhood. Jim Crow laws segregated blacks and whites in the South. Her family life was unstable at times. But much like her poem, "Still I Rise," Angelou was able to lift herself out of her situation and flourish. She moved to California and became the first black — and first female — streetcar operator before following her interest in dance. She became a professional performer in her twenties and toured the U.S. and Europe as an opera star and calypso dancer. But Angelou's writing became her defining talent. Her poems and books, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, brought her international acclaim.
For more biographies of women from this compelling series, visit our Who Was...? Collection.
Recommended Age | 8 - 12 |
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Author | Ellen Labrecque |
Illustrator | DeDe Putra, Nancy Harrison |
ISBN | 0448488531 |
Publication Date | Jan 12, 2016 |
Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
Series Name | Who Was |
Language | English |