American Masters is set to share the life story of writer and civil rights activist Dr. Maya Angelou Tuesday on PBS. The documentary “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise,” premieres at 8 p.m. on WVIZ.
Angelou is best known for her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, but in addition to writing books and poetry she was a dancer, singer and actress. She died in 2014 at age 86.
The documentary features interviews with her as well Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, Cicely Tyson, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.
Angelou came to Cleveland in 2008 for a poetry event in Playhouse Square, and prior to that performance she spoke by phone with ideastream's Dee Perry.
Hear Angelou recount the tragic story of how she first realized the power of the spoken word in the audio player above and on Tuesday at 1:50 p.m. on Here and now featuring the Sound of Applause.