Renowned poet, activist Maya Angelou dies; she was St. Louis native

Maya Angelou was a St. Louis native who became one of America’s most celebrated poets, novelists and civil rights activists. She survived a sometimes desperate upbringing to become a force on stage, screen and the printed page.

She died Wednesday (May 28, 2014) at her home in Winston-Salem, N.C., where she had served as professor of American studies at Wake Forest University. She was 86. No cause of death was given, although she had become increasingly frail.