Popular Works by Angelou; I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Harlem Hopscotch and On the Pulse of Morning, she uses pride, identity, poverty, racism and violence to show her readers that she survived, that she rose above them. She was loved by the stars, Angelou was Oprah's mentor. In 1981, she received a lifetime appointment as the Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University (Merriam Webster). With more than 50 honorary doctorates, Dr. Maya Angelou has become a celebrated poet, memoirist, educator, playwright, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist (Caged Bird Legacy). Sadly, Dr. Maya Angelou passed away on May 28, 2014. “Whatever you want to do, if you want to excel, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it. » –Dr. Maya Angelou