By Osagie Alonge
Prolific African-American poet Maya Angelou has passed away at 86.
Reports say the respected poet and author died at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Wednesday, May 28, 2014.
Guy B Johnson, Angelou’s son confirmed the news in a statement; ‘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 appreciative of the time we had with her and we know that she is looking down upon us with love.’
Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson, in St Louis, Missouri, in 1928. She survived a host of personal trials: she was a child of the depression, grew up in the segregated south, survived a childhood rape, was a teenage mother, and was, at one time, a prostitute.
She is perhaps best known for her 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She also wrote seven autobiographies, and was a playwright, director, actor, singer, songwriter and novelist.
In 1993, she read On the Pulse of the Morning at President Clinton‘s first inauguration, a performance that made the poem a bestseller.