The words composed by poets and writers are often their greatest legacy.
But for Maya Angelou, who died last month, her actions on behalf of civil rights will live on alongside her writing.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1928, Angelou later moved to a heavily segregated town in Arkansas, a childhood experience she later chronicled in her famous memoir titled “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”
In addition to her writing, Angelou worked closely with civil-rights leaders Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the 1960s.
Later in her life, Angelou became a luminary (see definition and hear pronunciation below) in the world of literature.
In 2011, President Barack Obama honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: What other luminaries can you think of in the fields of science, literature, the arts or politics?
Luminary: A person of prominence in a particular field, especially one who inspires or influences others.
Click to hear the pronunciation of luminary:
https://coolwordclub.com/wp-content/uploads/luminary.mp3
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