Maya Angelou news reveals the sudden death of the renowned author, poet, and activist Wednesday morning. She was 86 years old.
In a report by MyFox8, Maya Angelou, who was scheduled to receive her "Beacon of Life Award" at the 2014 Beacon Award Luncheon on May 30th, passed away at her Winston-Salem home.
Her family released an official statement shortly after her 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," the statement said.
"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," the statement added.
Maya Angelou's work as an artist is one of the reasons why she is one of the most respected figures in the scene. One of her most memorable works was portraying the role of Aunt Jane in the Academy-Award winning film "Poetic Justice", alongside late controversial rapper, Tupac Shakur.
During that time, Shakur was known for his music that revolved around his experiences of living in violence and his hardships as a troubled teen growing up.
But during one of their shared moments during filming, Maya Angelou described the moment when she was able to move the controversial musician to tears.
"I didn't know who he was," Angelou said in a 2013 interview. "He was into a big rowel with another young man, and so I said to him, 'May I speak to you?' And he was cursing. 'I wouldn't give a...'
"I said, 'I understand that, but let me speak to you,'" she continued. "'If these mutha...,' I said, 'I got ya. However, let me speak to you.' And finally I said, 'When was the last time anyone told you how important you are? Did you know our people stood on auction blocks, were bought and sold so that you could stay alive today.'"
"And finally he heard me and stopped talking, and started to weep. And I put my arms around him, and I walked him back into the arena. And he cried," Angelou recalled.
