Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was a very well-known and respected African American poet, dancer, actress and singer.  She published over 30 works and has received many honours throughout her lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of the Arts.  Angelou grew up in a small town in Arkansas and battled serious racial discrimination.  Later she would go on to be a fierce participant in the global civil rights movement.  Angelou also suffered from sexual abuse at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend when she was seven years old.  When she discovered her uncle had killed her attacker, she worried that speaking about the abuse had led to his death, so she stopped speaking for five years of her life.  Eventually, she found her voice again, and became a powerful force for hope and change in the world and inspired many with her art and ideas.

Bio Source Info:  http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/ang0bio-1