She served as the first black female street car driver in San Francisco. She was one of the first African American women who was able to publicly discuss her personal life in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.She is also important becuase she is an amazing author who really made people realize what it was like for her and african-americans growing up in during her period in history.It probably opened people's eyes to the injustices of the 1930's and 1940's.