Writer and poet Maya Angelou dies at 86

US writer and poet Maya Angelou died at age 86 years in the state of North Carolina, local media reported on Wednesday.

She wrote over 30 books and won the Grammy for three recorded works. Maya had a home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he was professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.

She was found dead by his nurse, and the cause was not disclosed. Maya was a well known activist for racial equality, she worked with Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.

Admired by many musicians, Maya read a poem called "We had him" at the funeral of Michael Jackson, in 2009. She also influenced singers like Steven Tyler, Fiona Apple and Kanye West. Oprah Winfrey considered her as a mentor. Maya Angelou was born in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.She also worked as a singer, dancer, actress, playwright and songwriter.

Maya's first book, the acclaimed autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" (1969), made ​​her one of the first black writers to have a bestseller in the United States.