Poet, author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou has died at age 86. Angelou was reportedly found dead by her caretaker Wednesday morning at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Angelou is considered one of the most prominent American literary figures of the past 50 years. Her autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” brought her to fame in 1969. She would go on to publish six more autobiographies and numerous books of poetry. She was also an educator, actress, performer, producer and director. Her works often reflected the challenges and triumphs of African American women in the the United States.
In her lifetime, Angelou was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, a Tony Award and three Grammys. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2000, the Lincoln Medal in 2008, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.