The Poetry of Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson April 4, 1928 in Saint Louis, Missouri. She is an author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist. Angelou was a member of the Harlem Writers Guild in the late 1950s, was active in the Civil Rights movement, and served as Northern Coordinator of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1993, she recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at President Bill Clinton's inauguration.