Maya Angelou Dies at Age 86

Celebrated US author, poet and activist Maya Angelou, age 86 passed away quietly at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at 08:00 EST (12:00 GMT) according  to a post by Mr Guy B Johnson in her official Facebook Fan Page. 

 

Thursday, May 28, 2014
Statement from Dr. Maya Angelou’s Family:
Dr. Maya Angelou passed quietly in her home before 8:00 a.m. EST. Her family is extremely grateful that her ascension was not belabored by a loss of acuity or comprehension. She lived a life as a teacher, activist, artist and human being. She was a warrior for equality, tolerance and peace. The family is extremely appreciative of the time we had with her and we know that she is looking down upon us with love.
Guy B. Johnson

 

She was raised by her grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas as a child.  At the age of eight, she wrote about being raped by her mother’s boyfriend. The boyfriend was then killed after  her family learned on what had happened.

Maya Angelou later became a singer, a dancer, cocktail waitress, prostitute and an actress before becoming a writer.

She made her name with the 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings which stayed for two years on the US best-seller list.

Through her countless works, she inspired many people with her strength and eloquence as a role model for those seeking to overcome inequality and injustice.

She was also a prominent civil rights activist and a friend of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.

Maya Angelou Dies at Age 86