Maya Angelou dies at the age of 86

Civil rights activist, poet and author, Maya Angelou has died at the age of 86.

Her family confirmed the news in a statement on Wednesday:

“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.”

Little known facts about Maya Angelou:

1. At the age of 14, Maya became the first African-American female cable car conductor in San Francisco. 

2. Even though Maya never attended college, she was a professor of American studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Maya has dozens of honorary degrees from various universities. 

3. Maya was a noted  actress and starred in “Porgy and Bess” (1950s) an opera production set among the black residents of a fishing village in 1912 South Carolina .

4. Maya was raped by her mother’s boyfriend at the age of 7. After she testified against her attacker, he was beaten to death by an angry mob. The young Maya felt that her voice killed him, so she went silent for years. She later expressed herself through writing, which would spark the beginning of her writing career.

5. Maya was fluent in six languages.