Maya Angelou是美国文坛最耀眼的黑人女作家和诗人，成名作是一部名为I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings的自传体小说。1993年她在美国总统Bill Clinton的就职仪式上特邀朗诵献诗On the Pulse of the Morning，从而成为美国历史上继Robert Frost之后的官方诗人。

Still I Rise是Maya Angelou的诗歌代表作，是继Martin Luther King的I Have a Dream之后美国黑人争取民权的又一纪念碑式的作品。

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. She has the unique ability to shatter the opaque prisms of race and class between reader and subject throughout her books of poetry and her autobiographies.

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 was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.

In January 1993, she became only the second poet in U.S. History to have the honor of writing and reciting original work at the Presidential Inauguration.