Maya Angelou was one of the most legendary voices of our time, a renowned poet, author, educator, memoirist, and civil rights activist. Angelou passed away on May 28, 2014 in her home in Winston-Salem at the age of 86.

Angelou is known for her seven autobiographies, various poetry books, and copious plays, television shows and movies. Her most famous autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, brought her to international recognition and approbation. Angelou was a civil rights activist, working with the influential Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. She received many accolades: amongthem a Pulitzer Prize nomination for her poetry book, three Grammys for her spoken albums, and the National Medal of Arts awarded by President Clinton.

Maya Angelou’s private memorial service was held at Wake Forest University on June 7, a school where she held the first lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies. Wake Forest provided a livestream of the service at 10 AM EST. The world has been fortunate to know the influences of a person who could articulate the virtues of courage, truth, and fairness.