Nikki Giovanni, revolutionary poet and voice of Black resilience, dies at 81
The Virginia Tech professor and beloved wordsmith and author died peacefully after multiple bouts with cancer.
She taught us how to ego trip and know that we were loved, all with her signature smile and soul-nourishing words.
On Monday, Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni Jr., renowned American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator died at the age of 81. According to WDJB News, Giovanni passed away peacefully with her partner, Virginia “Ginny” Fowler close by.
Born on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Giovanni enjoyed a career that lasted more than five decades. Giovanni’s early years were enveloped in closeness to her African American heritage and a love for literature. She entered Fisk University’s “Early Entrant” program, beginning college in Nashville, Tennessee before completing her high school studies. At Fisk, she edited the student literary magazine, renewed the campus chapter of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and went on to graduate with honors with her B.A. in history in 1967.
By the late 1960s, Giovanni was established as one of the leading voices in the Black Arts Movement and had become known as “Poet of the Black Revolution.” Her first volumes of poetry, “Black Feeling, Black Talk” in 1968 and “Black Judgement,” in 1968, were unapologetically bold, militant and powerful calls to racial and social justice.
Throughout her career, Giovanni also penned many poetry anthologies, children’s books, and spoken word albums. Her autobiographical “Nikki-Rosa” poem has been reprinted in numerous collections. Her versatility as a writer was reflected in works such as “Spin a Soft Black Song” (1971) and “Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People” (1973), which showed Giovanni could write for a younger audience while still tackling challenging themes.
In 1987, Giovanni joined the faculty at Virginia Tech as a professor of English, teaching creative writing and literature until her retirement in 2022. Her time at Virginia Tech was characterized by her commitment to education and mentorship. After the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007, Giovanni crafted a powerful chant-poem for the memorial, capturing the resilience of the community.
Giovanni was the recipient of numerous literary and social justice awards, including several NAACP Image Awards, the Langston Hughes Medal and more than 20 honorary degrees from colleges and universities. In 2005, her album, “The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection,” was nominated for the Grammy Best Spoken Word Album. She was also named one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 “Living Legends.”
In the early 1990s, Giovanni battled with lung cancer. Her 1999 collection “Blues: For All the Changes: New Poems” comprises poems on nature and her cancer journey.
Giovanni was a proud honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Her legacy is one of profound impact on literature, education, social activism, and a larger quest for justice and equality. She is survived by her son, Thomas Watson Giovanni.
One of Giovanni’s quotes from her anthology, “The Collected Poetry, 1968-1998,” speaks perfectly to the writer and scholar’s indomitable spirit:
“I hope i die
warmed
by the life that i tried
to live”
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