Poet, civil rights activist, professor, actress, dancer, editor, mother: Dr. Maya Angelou, who died at the age of 86 on May 28, was all of these and much, much more. From her first book, the 1969 "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" (the first autobiography by an African-American woman to reach a general audience) to her many volumes of poetry, Angelou has again and again inspired many of us to stand up against racism, sexism and inequality.
Angelou's honors for her writing and her work as a prominent member of the civil rights movement are too many to count. In 1993, she read the inaugural poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" at the swearing-in of President Bill Clinton. In 2011, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
Angelou wrote in a voice of seering honesty entwined with a delicate lyricism. As we honor her life, her achievements and her legacy, it is only fitting to quote some of her powerful words: "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain" and "Nothing will work unless you do."
