proved too graphic for some. for others the work became an instant classic. >> i know what the caged bird feels. >> reporter: as an adult she became a songstress in the film "calypso." and later and more famously of course as a poet, director, actor, and leading civil rights activist. a friend of martin luther king and his family as well as malcolm x. even some of the most power full women in the world consider her a hero. >> i actually do feel like your daughter. >> you are my daughter. >> reporter: oprah asked angelou to host her series. >> you have over the years continuously surprised me. >> reporter: then senator hillary clinton linked with the author for her 2008 presidential