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 . When she speaks , it is with intense clarity , as if her words are aligned , standing at attention . Untethered from convention and politesse by age , hard-won experience and inner strength , she expresses truths that many women may suspect but are loath to admit . `` I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels , '' she once said . `` Life 's a bitch . You 've got to go out and kick a -- . '' But 41 years after the she grabbed those lapels with her groundbreaking novel `` I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , '' I found myself reflecting at her party on what has -- and has not -- changed for women heading out into the world . The truth is , it 's still very hard to get to the point of accomplishment of a Maya Angelou . Modern women still struggle to succeed without being labeled the witch , ditz or office pariah . Indeed , young women I meet when I speak with college students across the country are aware of this as they prepare to plunge into their adult lives . I find that regardless of the career opportunities that are at their fingertips , advances that their foremothers would scarcely have believed , some women ( especially women of color ) still brace themselves for limitations and obstacles . Is there a magic key to a life lived free of gender and racial biases , they ask ? There is not . There are barriers . But how long must young women leaving high schools and universities expect to be swimming against generations-long waves ? We have come a long way , but still we see reflected in the media daily the crude stereotypes that confront and trivialize accomplished and prominent women . It might be a first lady mocked for revealing a little cleavage , another first lady questioned for leaving her job to take care of her children or a candidate for vice president criticized for her commitment to family . And though women represent more than half the voting age population and are a significant political force , at this `` post-feminist '' moment , only six of the nation 's 50 governors and only 17 of the 100 U.S. senators are women . At the same time , the U.S. Census Bureau 's 2009 Educational Attainment Survey showed that more women than men over the age of 25 have bachelor 's , graduate and professional degrees . And a recent AdAge White Paper , entitled `` The New Female Consumer , '' cited statistics from a Catalyst survey that shows that women 's median income rose 32.9 percent from 1990 to 2006 , while men 's only rose 6.3 percent . Should we be surprised how young women respond to these mixed messages ? I talked with Angelou about such issues when she welcomed me as a guest on her program and later invited me to her home to discuss themes about womanhood that I would eventually explore in a book . We talked about how the limitations placed on us as young girls began with our families . I still bristle , and told her so , about how my family had advised me to learn to type and become a secretary . She counseled that they had done that out of love , that their intention was not `` to break you . '' Rather , the intent was `` to keep you from breaking your heart . '' But as we all know , the world can be much crueler than our families : The route to success for women , politically , economically and personally , is often lined with broken hearts and humbling moments that I would hope do more to ignite our determination than quell it . Maybe we can argue that our defeats kindle resilience ? I wonder if Angelou 's living legacy reaches today into the lives of modern women whose intelligence , determination -- and resilience -- helped them surmount obstacles on the way to lofty positions in the world . Yes , there are mixed messages everywhere for young women , but then there are the achievements of a Hillary Clinton , a Michelle Obama , a Sarah Palin . Young , determined women willing to push aside the obstacles that a sometimes retrograde culture throws in their way can take inspiration from those women 's successes . And as Angelou once said , `` History , despite its wrenching pain , can not be unlived , but if faced with courage , need not be lived again . '' The birthday girl speaks the truth . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Leslie Sanchez .
Leslie Sanchez says Maya Angelou , whose life has inspired many women , has turned 82 . She says Angelou tells women to `` grab life by the lapels , '' but culture presents hurdles . Women succeed in earning , education ; lag in Congress , pop culture portrayals , she says . Sanchez : Angelou can inspire women to be determined , resilient and to surmount barriers .