Important points in her life
- Born on April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri
- Was abused and sexually assaulted by her mother's boyfriend as a child, causing her to be mute for some of her childhood
- Won a scholarship to attend San Francisco's Labor School
- Dropped out at 14 to be the first African American woman cable car conductor
- Later returned to finish high school; had her son a few weeks after graduation
- 1959: Becomes the northern coordinator of Souther Leader Christian Conference at the request of Martin Luther King
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is published in 1970
- 1993: Reads her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" during Bill Clinton's inauguration
- 1993: Receives Grammy for "Best Spoken Word Album", "On the Pulse of Morning"
- 2006: Receives Mother Teresa Award