Legendary poet, writer and activist Dr. Maya Angelou has died. She was 86.
From the New York Times:
Her death was confirmed by her longtime literary agent, Helen Brann. No immediate cause of death had been determined, but Ms. Brann said Ms. Angelou had been in frail health for some time and had had heart problems.
As well known as she was for her memoirs, which eventually filled six volumes, Ms. Angelou very likely received her widest exposure on a chilly January day in 1993, when she delivered the inaugural poem, “On the Pulse of Morning,” at the swearing-in of Bill Clinton, the nation’s 42nd president, who, like Ms. Angelou, had grown up poor in rural Arkansas.
While she is perhaps best known for reciting a moving poem at Bill Clinton’s first inauguration, I’ll always remember her for her appearances on Sesame Street with Elmo. May she rest in peace.