“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”
― Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou passed away today, May 28, 2014, at the age of 86. The legendary poet and civil rights activist died in her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The author of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” led an extraordinary life, taking home Emmy, Tony and Grammy Awards for her work on the stage and screen. She wrote more than 30 books and her quotes can be found in speeches, articles and even on Twitter. In her last tweet on May 23, Angelou said, “Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”
President Obama has called Angelou “one of the brightest lights of our time—a brilliant writer, a fierce friend, and a truly phenomenal woman.” Watch Anderson Cooper’s interview with the late, great Maya Angelou from 2013 below.