When Dr. Maya Angelou read her poem, "On the Pulse of Morning," written especially for President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993, the 'best kept secret in literary circles' was thoughtfully revealed to the whole world. She is arguably the most influential woman of her race, but there is more to Maya Angelou than being an African American female. Born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis in 1928, she has lived many lives in one, escaped a torturous and impoverished childhood to become a performing artist, poet, author, teacher and human rights activist. One of her earliest influences wa…
