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Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was an American author, poet, dancer, actress and singer. She was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King, James Baldwin, and Malcolm X. Prior to becoming a writer, Angelou spent much of her young life as a dancer, before turning to organizing and activism at the start of the 1960s. After spending three years as a journalist in Ghana, Angelou moved back to the United States in 1965 and collaborated closely with many of the leading civil rights figures of the time. Angelou's first breakthrough came in 1969 when she published her first autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," which brought global acclaim. Angelou would go on to spend the next 45 years as an internationally renowned lecturer, teacher, writer, composer, performer, and director, becoming one of America's literary and artistic legends.