Maya Angelou, famed poet and activist, has died at her Winston-Salem home at the age of 86.
The death was confirmed by Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines this morning. A hearse escorted by police was seen leaving the home about 9 a.m.
Angelou was the Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University and is known for her autobiographical works, including “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and the poem she read at President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration, “On the Pulse of Morning.”