In being a poet, educator, best selling author, actress, playwright, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou has been deemed one of the most incredible voices of contemporary literature. She began to read widely during her four year period of silence, which started after she was tragically raped by her mother's boyfriend when she was eight. Although she lived in poverty for most of her childhood, she grew into a multi-talented woman. Maya Angelou is known by many people because of her involvement in fighting for South African freedom, her well respected poetry, and the many publicized events she has taken part in.
             Maya Angelou has helped change the lives of many women and thousands of less privileged in Third World Countries. She married a South African freedom fighter and lived with him in Cairo. There she was the editor of The Arab Observer, which was the only English news weekly in the Middle East. She taught at the university in Ghana, and was also the feature editor of the university's African Review. Maya's personal out reach helped to improve conditions for many people in the Middle East. Maya Angelou was an extraordinary person and used her talents to make the world a better place for everyone around her (Robinson 1).
             Maya Angelou has also been an internationally respected poet and writer. She has produced many best-selling titles such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings which talks about the struggles of the African Americans and how they handled prejudice with grace and dignity. Here is an exert from her famous poem I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In this poem Maya explains the humbleness of blacks during their struggles.
             But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
             can seldom see though his bars of rage
             his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.
             The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
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