Maya Angelou died Wednesday morning at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The 86-year-old had been a professor of American studies at Wake Forest University since 1982, and was a renowned author and poet.
“Her family is extremely grateful that her ascension was not belabored by a loss of acuity or comprehension,” her family said in a statement.
“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.”
See quotes and sayings from the literary great below.
-“I believe that each of us comes from the creator trailing wisps of glory.”
-“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
-“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”
-“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
-“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”
-“You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.”
-“The needs of a society determine its ethics, and in the Black American ghettos the hero is that man who is offered only the crumbs from his country’s table but by ingenuity and courage is able to take for himself a Lucullan feast.”
-"You don’t have to think about doing the right thing. If you’re for the right thing, then you do it without thinking.
-“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
-“When someone shows you who they are believe them; the first time.”
Friends Read Free