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Who Was Maya Angelou?

She was...

A young girl whose grandmother sometimes called her “little professor”

An actress and calypso dancer who toured the world with a traveling opera

One of the most celebrated poets of all time

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.

By Ellen Labrecque and Who HQ
Illustrated by Dede Putra

About OLP Selects

Looking for interesting, age appropriate, history books for your young reader? We've done the legwork for you with OLP Selects, History Books for Kids. Our selection of highly rated and reviewed titles are the perfect supplements to your 4th and 5th grade history studies. Great for expanded study of a favorite historical figure or event these books are also perfect for beginner book reports.