The news of Shange’s death was announced via her official Twitter account. The statement indicates that she passed away “peacefully in her sleep” in the early morning hours of October 27. Shange’s sister, Ifa Bayeza, told the Star Tribune following the announcement, “It’s a huge loss for the world. I don’t think there’s a day on the planet when there’s not a young woman who discovers herself through the words of my sister.”