“And he said: you pretty full of yourself ain’t chu. So she replied: show me someone not full of herself and I’ll show you a hungry person.”
These iconic lines from Nikki Giovanni’s “Poem for a Lady Whose Voice I Like” capture the fiery, unapologetic brilliance that defined her work. Giovanni, known as the “Poet of the Black Revolution,” passed away at 81 in her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee.
A literary genius, she used her words to inspire and empower—leaving a lasting impression on modern society as a poet, children’s author and activist, uplifting communities of color, women and queer audiences for generations to come.
Image: Getty Images.
In a time when childhood literacy rates are declining and critical thinking is often put aside, drowning in a world of misinformation, Giovanni’s legacy is rooted in authenticity, advocacy and profound intellectual prowess. Born Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni on June 7, 1943, she grew up in Cincinnati before taking her place as a key figure in the Black Arts Movement. She graduated magna cum laude from Fisk University in 1967, where she revived the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) chapter and sharpened her belief in the transformative power of art as activism.
In the late 1960s, Giovanni’s debut collections of poetry, Black Feeling, Black Talk (1968) and Black Judgment (1969), boldly addressed America’s racial injustices while honoring the richness and diversity of Black identity. Her seminal poem “Nikki-Rosa” delivered a powerful message: “Black love is Black wealth,” offering a counter-narrative to stereotypes about Black life. Giovanni’s work and observation captured the spectrum of the Black experience.
Before 30, Giovanni was already an accomplished interviewer, engaging luminaries such as Lena Horne, Muhammad Ali and James Baldwin. Her ability to connect with icons and ordinary people solidified her status as a cultural bridge builder. Over her prolific career, she penned dozens of works. From Ego Tripping to Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea, Giovanni used language to center the struggles and triumphs of Black communities and queer identities. Grammy-nominated, she also released numerous recorded works that further illuminated her commentary on the state of the world, Black culture and the need for community.
Giovanni taught at Virginia Tech for 35 years, mentoring countless students while building bridges between art and education. She was a member of The Wintergreen Women Writers Collective and has been significantly honored for her ability to capture elements of the human experience through her words: more than 20 honorary degrees, a recipient of several NAACP Image Awards, a Life Member of the National Council of Negro Women and an Honorary Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, to name a few.
In 2023, Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project was released as an intimate reflection of her life, career and the cultural elements she touched. Perhaps Nikki Giovanni’s 2020 autobiography, Make Me Rain, reflected her life’s purpose and lasting legacy best: “All I have are words. And maybe a bit of hope.”
