Guy Johnson, Maya Angelou’s son and civil rights fighter, died at the age of 77.
Ms. Angelou gave birth to Guy when she was only 16 years old.
Johnson died peacefully Wednesday morning, Feb. 16, at his home in Oakland, according to Maya Angelou’s official social media account.
“Mr. GUY JOHNSON passed away peacefully at his home this morning in Oakland, California. Arrangements will be made and announced in the coming days. We ask that you respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time. Thank you for your prayers and words of comfort and strength,” the post read.
Johnson, a poet and author, spoke to KRON on Monday, Feb. 14, about Angelou becoming the first Black woman to be featured on a US currency.
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He is said to have had a big say on Angelou’s depiction for the quarter. She is shown with her arms up and a bird flying behind her.
“One of the reasons I chose that image is, first off, I know how difficult it is to capture the actual essence and animus of a human being on a metal coin, and I thought that picture with the bird behind her, the wings and her arms out gave some sense of the style that she had, the grace that she had,” he said.
“She was a dancer for many years, and I really thought that was the best image of her,” he added.
