Google Honors Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was a writer, poet, composer and civil rights activist who became a powerful voice on race and gender.

With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed 

aspects of her personal life. She was respected as a spokesperson for black people and 
women, and her works have been considered a defense of black culture.

 Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide, although attempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries. Angelou's most celebrated works have been labeled as autobiographical fiction, but many critics consider them to be autobiographies.

 She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing and expanding the genre. Her books center on themes such as racism, identity, family and travel.

source - Wikepedia