Dr. Maya Angelou is one of the most influential voices of our time, and with over 50 honorary doctorate degrees Dr. Maya Angelou became a celebrated poet, memoirist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Her works became a part of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s as she collaborated with poets and rap artists of her time. During her lifetime, she fought against the stigmas of racism, single-parenthood, and poverty.