ABSTRACT
Maya Angelou (1928–2014) was a celebrated black American author and poet, and a noted civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies in all, of which I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is the first. Published in 1969, it tells the story of Angelou’s life up to age 17. This chapter follows Angelou’s narrative, learning profound lessons about the nature of race and gender inequality and the inherent resources within the black and female body to help toward the struggle to overcome.
