Maya Angelou has done many things in her storied life and career; along the way she has inspired millions- both here in the United States and around the world.

Her 1969 autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, was nominated for a National Book Award. In 1972 she was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for a collection of poetry.

She’s won Tony and Emmy awards, and Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word album in 1993, 1995, and 2002.

At the request of President Bill Clinton, Angelou wrote On the Pulse of Morning, which she recited live at his 1993 inauguration as U.S. President.

She has been awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2000, the Lincoln Medal in 2008, and President Barack Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to her in 2011.

How could such a person possibly be included in this series?

Despite her impressive resume, Maya Angelou is one of the most banned authors in U.S. history. So controversial is she that she was ranked #3 on the ALA’s top 100 list for 1990-2000 and #6 for 2001-2010. She has placed in the top 10 every year for the past decade.

Read on and Share the Knowledge:
http://bbark.deepforestproductions.com/column/2011/10/30/banned-books-awareness-caged-bird-sings/