Giovanni’s words on Black pride and experience made her a pioneer of the Black Arts Movement.
Nikki Giovanni, the acclaimed poet and activist known for her contributions to the Black Arts Movement, has died at age 81.
Born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni on June 7, 1943 in Knoxville, Tennessee, Giovanni grew to become one of the most revered African-American poets. After graduating from Fisk University, the author released her first poetry collections, Black Feeling, Black Talk and Black Judgement, in 1968.
The works focused heavily on Black empowerment and Black radicalism, taking inspiration from the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements she witnessed growing up. Alongside fellow acclaimed writers such as Amiri Baraka and Audre Lorde, Giovanni’s words on Black pride and its experience made her a pioneer of the Black Arts Movement.
She continued using her pen to advocate for Black upliftment and gender equality, advocating for feminist ideologies within this racial lens. Her work engaged in the intersections of race, sexuality, and gender, offering her readers a vivid perspective into the Black woman’s unique plight as well.
Respected and loved by her peers such as Rosa Parks, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, and Baldwin, Giovanni was a pivotal voice for Black reflection and thought. As for her chosen literary art, Giovanni described her journey to becoming a poet as a way to “put things together.”
“My dream was not to publish or to even be a writer: my dream was to discover something no one else had thought of,” she wrote on her website.
“I guess that’s why I’m a poet. We put things together in ways no one else does.”
Giovanni died of complications with lung cancer on Dec. 9, as confirmed by CNN. She died peacefully with her wife Virginia Fowler by her side. Giovanni also leaves behind her son, Thomas and her granddaughter, Kai.
RELATED CONTENT: Celebrated Poet and English Professor Nikki Giovanni Retires from Virginia Tech
Source: Black Enterprise
