Dr. Maya Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman. Being a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, Dr. Angelou continues to travel the world making appearances, spreading her legendary wisdom.

A mesmerizing vision of grace, swaying and stirring when she moves, Dr. Angelou captivates her audiences lyrically with vigor, fire and perception. Dr. Angelou has authored twelve best-selling books including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, A Song Flung Up to Heaven and Even the Stars Look Lonesome. In 1981,

Dr. Angelou has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and in 2004, she received a Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Spoken Word Album." Dr. Angelou was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University and has garnered over 50 honorary degrees from colleges and universities worldwide.

In addition to her landmark legacy in the written word, Dr. Angelou also made frequent contributions to film and TV, from guest appearances on Sesame Street, to narrating M.K. Asante's Kwanzaa documentary The Black Candle (2008), to small acting roles in John Singleton's Poetic Justice (1993). Her screenplay for Georgia, Georgia (1972) was the earliest produced film written by a Black woman, and she achieved her lifelong goal of directing a feature film with Down in the Delta (1998).