Trailblazing poet, writer, activist, educator, and icon of the Black arts movement Nikki Giovanni passed away on Monday at the age of 81. Per NPR, Giovanni’s passing came after she was diagnosed with cancer for the third time.
Renée Watson, an author and friend of Giovanni, announced her death in a statement. “We will forever be grateful for the unconditional time she gave to us, to all her literary children across the writerly world,” poet Kwame Alexander said in the statement.
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, Giovanni studied history at Fisk University where she developed her interest in activism. She graduated in 1968, the height of the Civil Rights movement and the year of the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, and started publishing poetry around this time. Her works quickly became a significant contribution to the Civil Rights movement.
Her first book, Black Feeling, Black Talk, came out in 1967, and her second, Black Judgement, a year later. In 1970, she released her work, Re: Creation. Together, these books made her one of the leading voices of Black America.
Giovanni was also an educator. She began her journey as a teacher at Rutgers University in 1969 where she taught for years before moving to Virginia Tech where she created a publishing organization for Black, female writers.
Giovanni was especially adept at using words to express a myriad of life issues and ideas, outside of race. Once a mum, Giovanni began writing verses for children, such as Spin a Soft Black Song in 1971.
In 1972, she published her collection, My House, exploring issues such as love and loneliness. Her poem Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day expanded on the theme in 1978. In the late 1990s, she published Blues and Quilting the Black Eyed Pea on her battle with cancer.
Giovanni won numerous awards, among them the Langston Hughes Medal and NAACP Image Award. She was nominated for a Grammy Award for her poetry album, The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, and was named one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 “Living Legends.”
Tributes poured in from her peers and other notable public figures after the news of her death. “#NikkiGiovanni, the legendary poet and revolutionary voice of justice, has left this earth, leaving an irreplaceable void. Her words, bold and unapologetic, ignited movements, healed wounds, and inspired generations to rise above oppression. She was a poet of the people, capturing the beauty and complexity of Black life with unmatched grace and power,” Bernice King shared on X.
“Her passing is a profound loss to humanity, but her legacy is eternal. Nikki Giovanni’s voice will continue to echo in the hearts of all who seek justice, love, and liberation. The world is better for her presence and forever changed by her artistry. Rest in peace.”
“This is an incalculable loss but Nikki Giovanni lived a grand and interesting life; that will always be a gift. May she rest in power,” writer and professor Roxane Gay shared on Bluesky.
“Dawn and I are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Nikki Giovanni, a literary giant whose words and actions have been a powerful force for justice and empowerment,” Maryland governor Wes Moore also shared on Bluesky. “Her legacy is one of courage and inspiration. Her words have touched countless lives & will continue to echo through generations.”
Moore added: “We are grateful for her contributions to our culture, our country, and our collective consciousness. All of this, and she had one of the most beautiful smiles and generous souls you can imagine. We are all better because of her. May she rest in peace.”
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