Nikki Giovanni
Biography
Nikki Giovanni
Poet, activist, mother and professor Nikki Giovanni was the author of landmark books like MAKE ME RAIN, BLACK FEELINGS, BLACK TALK and BLUES: For All the Changes. Her art and activism spanned every major social movement of the 20th and 21st centuries. Her career began in the Black Arts Movement as a spoken word artist and poet; she grew to become one of the foremost Black artists in the US.
Giovanni was the author of over 30 books of poetry and prose and the recipient of seven NAACP Image Awards, the Langston Hughes Medal for Outstanding Poetry, the first Rosa Parks Women of Courage Award, and 27 honorary degrees. A devoted teacher, she spent 35 years as a University Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Giovanni passed away on December 9, 2024 due to complications from lung cancer.
Nikki Giovanni
