![Maya Angelou speaks during the AARP Magazine's 2011 Inspire Awards at Ronald Reagan Building on December 9, 2010, in Washington, D.C.](https://imagenes.elpais.com/resizer/v2/37DEMRBRUBDS7EQAD6R244VSOE.jpg?auth=1ad2d8a6c948e1e248c6312567ce799542ad6443d01974d26f8bc88a269f876a&width=414&height=233&smart=true)
Maya Angelou, an essential voice in American literature and culture
Her life and work had a profound impact on literature and society, especially with regard to issues of race, gender, and trauma
Her life and work had a profound impact on literature and society, especially with regard to issues of race, gender, and trauma