Washington (CNN) -- One of the world's most famous poets and writers, an inspiration to countless women, recently celebrated her birthday. At her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Maya Angelou celebrated turning 82. Born in an era unfriendly to women whose ambitions would take them out of the home or away from a narrow range of "acceptable" jobs, she nonetheless succeeded in many fields. She has led an admirably peripatetic life; she has been an author, dancer, actor, civil rights activist, radio host. Hailed, above all, for her vivid written portrayals of adolescent life in the South and the horrors of her violent childhood, she's become a role model of resilience for generations of American women.
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Leslie Sanchez says Maya Angelou, whose life has inspired many women, has turned 82
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She says Angelou tells women to "grab life by the lapels," but culture presents hurdles
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Women succeed in earning, education; lag in Congress, pop culture portrayals, she says
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Sanchez: Angelou can inspire women to be determined, resilient and to surmount barriers
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