In case you didn’t know by know, Maya Angelou is one of our all time favourite people. Born in Missouri in 1928, Maya had a very difficult childhood as she grew up in a time when the blacks and whites in the South were still segregated. Her family life was unstable at times but she flourished, and over her life worked as cook, waitress, sex-worker, dancer, actor, playwright, editor at an Egyptian newspaper, Calypso singer, and opera cast member before becoming a writer. Maya authored over 30 books, received more than 50 honorary degrees and won 3 grammys in her lifetime.

If one has courage,
nothing can dim
the light which shines
from within.

If you haven’t heard the story of how she became the first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco, watch it here, its a doozy..

Her famous poem, “Still I Rise,” is an anthem for anyone who has faced a challenge, experienced trauma, or been marginalized in this world.

Read it, read it again, print it and keep it with you, and rise like the star you are.