Maya Angelou, the groundbreaking poet and author who inspired millions of Americans with her moving memoirs and works of fiction, is dead at 86. A caretaker found Angelou dead at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Wednesday morning when she arrived to check on the ailing poet. A hearse with a police escort pulled away from her home about 9am Wednesday after medics and detectives investigated the scene.
Her son Gary B. Johnson, her only child, issued a statement about the author's death: '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.'
Angelou had been struggling with health problems in recent weeks and had canceled a May 30 appearance at the 2014 MLB Beacon Award Luncheon in Houston, where she was to be honored with the 'Beacon Life Award.' Angelou has been celebrated as one of the greatest writers of her generation, bringing light to the struggles of women and African Americans - as well as the human condition, writ large. 'Human beings are more alike than we are unalike,' she was often quoted as saying.May her gentle soul rest in peace.
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