Born in Missouri in 1928, Maya Angelou had a difficult childhood. Jim Crow laws segregated blacks and whites in the South. Her family life was unstable at times. But much like her poem, Still I Rise, Angelou was able to lift herself out of her situation and flourish. She moved to California and became the first black--and first female--streetcar operator before following her interest in dance. She became a professional performer in her twenties and toured the U.S. and Europe as an opera star and calypso dancer. But Angelou's writing became her defining talent. Her poems and books, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, brought her international acclaim.
Labrecque, Ellen Ellen Labrecque is a freelance writer who lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two kids. She has written over 20 children's books. Previously, she was a Senior Editor at Sports Illustrated Kids Magazine. She loves writing, running, and spending time outside.