Maya Angelou Classroom, mezzanine

This space supported by ​Joan Cirillo & Roger Cooke

Maya Angelou (1928–2014) was a celebrated poet, memoirist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Born as Marguerite Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas, she became one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time.  

With more than 50 honorary doctorate degrees, Angelou authored more than 30 bestselling titles and wrote 36 books over her lifetime, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Published in 1970, the book received international acclaim and became a bestseller. Though banned in many schools for its frank discussion of sexual abuse, it later became a widely taught college text.