Who Was Nikki Giovanni? Revered Poet Of Black Arts Movement Dies At 81

Renowned poet Nikki Giovanni passed away on December 9, aged 81. She died with her lifelong partner, Virginia (Ginney) Fowler, by her side, according to a statement from her friend and author Renée Watson. “We will forever feel blessed to have shared a legacy and love with our dear cousin,” said Allison (Pat) Ragan, Giovanni’s cousin, in a statement in the Associated Press.

Nikki Giovanni's Enduring Legacy

Giovanni, known as a 'voice of resilience', left a great impact on American literature, activism, and education. Born on June 7, 1943, she grew up in the predominantly Black community of Lincoln Heights, outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. She then studied at Fisk University in Nashville, where she engaged with many literary geniuses like Dudley Randall and Margaret Walker.

Giovanni became a prominent figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, the wave of Black nationalism that erupted during the civil rights era, conveying the message of cultural pride. The artistic movement was propelled by her, the novelist John Oliver Killens, the playwright and poet Amiri Baraka, the poets Audre Lorde, Ntozake Shange, and others.

Giovanni published over 25 books and poetry collections such as “Black Judgment” and “Black Feeling, Black Talk," which were widely acclaimed. As she rose to fame, she also appeared on television programs like The Tonight Show. Her popularity grew to the point where a 3,000-seat concert hall at Lincoln Center was houseful for her 30th birthday celebration.

Through her work, Giovanni expressed her story through different life stages. She reflected on her childhood, championed the Black Power movement, addressed her battles with lung cancer, and wrote on many other themes like love, family, food, and rocketing into space. She also edited a groundbreaking anthology of Black women poets, “Night Comes Softly."

Rest in Peace to the great author, poet, educator and activist Nikki Giovanni!

🎥: Nikki Giovanni and James Baldwin: A Conversation, 1971. pic.twitter.com/3V6Tgy2Fgm

— AFRICAN & BLACK HISTORY (@AfricanArchives) December 10, 2024

The prolific writer was the subject of the award-winning 2023 documentary "Going to Mars." She earned numerous accolades including the Langston Hughes Medal and the NAACP Image Award. She was also nominated for a 2004 Grammy Award for her poetry album, The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection. In 2009, Giovanni wrote a poem about then-President Barack Obama.

Poem for Barack Obama, the USA's first Black President:

I’ll walk the streets

And knock on doors

Share with the folks:

Not my dreams but yours

I’ll talk with the people

I’ll listen and learn

I’ll make the butter

Then clean the churn

Nikki-Rosa by Nikki Giovanni (Published in Ebony Magazine, 1972):

... and I really hope no white person ever has cause

to write about me

because they never understand

Black love is Black wealth and they’ll

probably talk about my hard childhood

and never understand that

all the while I was quite happy