Born in Missouri in 1928, Maya Angelou had a difficult childhood.
Her poems and books, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , brought her international acclaim..
But Angelou\'s writing became her defining talent. and Europe as an opera star and calypso dancer.
She became a professional performer in her twenties and toured the U.
S.
She moved to California and became the first black--and first female--streetcar operator before following her interest in dance.
But much like her poem, Still I Rise, Angelou was able to lift herself out of her situation and flourish.
Her family life was unstable at times.
Jim Crow laws segregated blacks and whites in the South.
Born in Missouri in 1928, Maya Angelou had a difficult childhood
