"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it."
Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist whose several volumes ofautobiographyexplore the themes of economic, racial, and sexual oppression. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first,I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings(1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.
Her honors included aPulitzer Prizenomination for her book of poetry, aTony Awardnomination, and threeGrammysfor her spoken word albums. She served on two presidential committees, and was awarded theSpingarn Medalin 1994, theNational Medal of Artsin 2000, and thePresidential Medal of Freedomin 2011. Angelou was awarded more than fifty honorary degrees.
