by By Jordan Zakarin, The Wrap
Maya Angelou, a towering icon of literature and the civil rights movement, has died at the age of 86.
The poet was found in her Winston Salem home early Wednesday.
Best known for her memoir “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” which was published in 1969 Angelou ultimately wrote six autobiographies and many books of poetry, giving her a total of 30 books published. Angelou worked on civil rights issues with leaders ranging from Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama; and even became the first African-American woman to write a produced screenplay, “Georgia, Georgia” in 1972.
Born in Missouri and raised in rural Arkansas, she first left home to study dance in San Francisco. By age 16, she was the city's first woman street car conductor, beginning a lifetime of trailblazing. Angelou read the poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton, and was in 2011 was honored by Barack Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Angelou's family issued a statement Wednesday morning on Facebook:
The post Maya Angelou, Famed Poet and Author, Dead at 86 appeared first on TheWrap
Maya Angelou, a towering icon of literature and the civil rights movement, has died at the age of 86.
The poet was found in her Winston Salem home early Wednesday.
Best known for her memoir “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” which was published in 1969 Angelou ultimately wrote six autobiographies and many books of poetry, giving her a total of 30 books published. Angelou worked on civil rights issues with leaders ranging from Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama; and even became the first African-American woman to write a produced screenplay, “Georgia, Georgia” in 1972.
Born in Missouri and raised in rural Arkansas, she first left home to study dance in San Francisco. By age 16, she was the city's first woman street car conductor, beginning a lifetime of trailblazing. Angelou read the poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton, and was in 2011 was honored by Barack Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Angelou's family issued a statement Wednesday morning on Facebook:
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.
The post Maya Angelou, Famed Poet and Author, Dead at 86 appeared first on TheWrap
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