Today a woman I’ve always loved and aspired to be like, passed away. At age 86 Maya Angelou passed from heart problems.

I had the pleasure of listening to her speak almost ten years ago at the Palace Theatre in my home state. A Woman of Influence, wisdom and strength. She turned a painful experience into one of inspiration. Battling silence of being raped at age 7 by her mothers boyfriend. Her silence was awakened by a desire to chase her dreams. And she did just that.

In 7th grade I was exposed to what a “Phenomenal Woman” was. A poem that would influence my life in so many ways. My sophomore year in college I wrote an autobiography on her life, and leaned just how amazing this women she was. Like myself, she had her child at the young age of 17. And did everything in her will to…