Read Banned Books: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Orange book cover showing a black silhoutte of a bird flying upward, with a stylized yellow sun in the background. The top half of the cover has the text 'Maya Angelou / I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'. In smaller type in the lower right corner is the text 'Foreword by Oprah Winfrey'.

Cover of 2009 mass market paperback edition. (Source: Publisher website)

Title:	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Author:	Maya Angelou
First published:	1969

Maya Angelou's first memoir tells the story of her growing up in the segregated South, dealing with racism, sexual abuse and assault, teenage pregnancy, and homelessness. A best-seller that has stayed in print since its debut, the book was acclaimed by Time magazine as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time.

2025 (Maryland): This book was one of over 350 books removed from the US Naval Academy Library in response to an order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office to 'review and get rid of [books] that promote diversity, equity and inclusion', as reported by the Associated Press. In response, Jinny Amundson, co-owner of Annapolis's Old Fox Books, has organized Operation Caged Bird, which will provide free copies of any of the books on the banned list to midshipmen at the Academy.

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