Educator Resources for Maya Angelou

Brilliant poet, respected actor, devoted activist, beloved professor. Maya Angelou thrived in an impressive number of roles during her 86 years. Angelou was most well known for her best-selling memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, a lyrical account of her troubled childhood. The racism and sexism Angelou endured growing up as an African-American girl in the Jim Crow South had a profound impact on her work. She overcame immense struggles and eventually found incredible success. In 2011, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor for an American citizen. Press "play" to find out more about why this author is still so widely read today in classrooms across the country and all around the world.