Maya Angelou overcame a troubled childhood marked by racism, abandonment, and violence to become one of America's most beloved writers. Growing up in the segregated south, Maya experienced the harsh realities of discrimination. As an adult, she dedicated herself to the fight for civil rights. Today, her voice represents people from all walks of life. From her breakthrough autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to "On the Pulse of Morning," the poem she wrote for President Bill Clinton's 1993 inauguration, Maya's writings have moved and inspired people around the world.