10 memorable quotes from Maya Angelou

The late poet laureate had a sublime gift for communication born of silent suffering. Here are insights that will endure as just a small part of her extraordinary legacy.

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When word spread that renowned author, poet, and civil rights activist Dr. Maya Angelou had died at age 86, tributes to her life poured onto social media. Many on Twitter shared their favorite quotes.

Traditional media provided background on Dr. Angelou’s early life. Reporter Emma Brown writes in The Washington Post:

“As a child growing up in the Jim Crow South, Maya Angelou was raped by her mother’s boyfriend; as a young woman, she worked briefly as a brothel madam and a prostitute. From those roots in powerlessness and violence, she rose to international recognition as a writer known for her frank chronicles of personal history and a performer instantly identified by her regal presence and rich, honeyed voice.”

Here are 10 quotes from Dr. Angelou, a communicator who leaves a void in American culture, and the world.

1. “There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you.”

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