(AP Photo/Random House/Dwight Carter)

MAYA ANGELOU

Little Rock connection: An Arkansas native, this poet, writer, actress and speaker has made numerous appearances in Little Rock over the years. She was a member of the first group of inductees into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame in 1993.

Tony Awards connection: Received a 1973 Tony nomination for Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in Look Away. That was one of three plays that season which featured Mary Todd Lincoln.  Leora Dana, who won the Featured Actress Tony over Angelou, appeared in another one of the plays – The Last of Mrs. Lincoln.