Angelou was born in 1928 and lived with either her mother or her grandmother for most of her early years. At age eight she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend who was then killed by her uncles. She became mute for six years after this.
After leaving home she worked in many jobs including a streetcar conductor, a professional dancer, and a madame.
Maya Angelou was also an important figure to the Civil Rights Movement. She was close to both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, and began writing in earnest after each was assassinated.
Her memoir and most famous book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was published in 1970. From there, her fame as a writer grew enormously. At President Clinton’s request, she composed a poem for his inauguration in 1993.