Maya Angelou accepted a lifetime achievement award from the Norman Mailer Center on Thursday night.

The legendary poet was honored at a benefit dinner organized by the Mailer Center and writers colony.

Angelou was introduced by her former Random House editor, Robert Coomis, who encouraged her to write her best-selling book, "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings."

She reminisced on her transition from segregated Arkansas to literary stardom.

"Imagine it," she said. "a town so prejudiced black people couldn't even eat vanilla ice cream."

Pulitzer Prize Winner Junot Diaz and Journalist Michael Hastings also recieved awards from the Mailer Center.

Legendary poet Maya Angelou will sit down with Oprah for OWN's 'Super Soul Sunday' this week.

The 85 year old literary spoke about her two greatest blessings in the interview.

"My greatest blessing has been my son," she said. "My next greatest blessing has been my ability to turn people into children of mine."

Oprah praised Angelou for her maternal ability, claiming to be the literary legend's most special child.

"Do you know what your most greatest gift to me is?" she asked. "[It's] that everyone of us who considers ourselves to be your daughter or your sons -- everyone of us thinks we're the most special. I think this is the mark of a great mother, to make everyone feel like their the special one."

Catch part one of this two week episode on Sunday, May 12 at 11 am ET on OWN.

Watch a preview of this week's 'Super Soul Sunday' (below):

April is National Poetry Month. To join in on the writing celebration, Respectedd will be posting some of the world's best poetry every day this month. Here's a little something from the lovely Maya Angelou. It's called 'Still I Rise'. Enjoy :) 

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops.

Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don't you take it awful hard

'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines

Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame

I rise

Up from a past that's rooted in pain

I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear

I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise.