Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni
Giovanni c. 1980
Giovanni c. 1980
BornYolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr.
(1943-06-07)June 7, 1943
Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedDecember 9, 2024(2024-12-09) (aged 81)
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.
Occupation
  • Writer
  • poet
  • activist
  • educator
EducationFisk University (BA)
University of Pennsylvania
Columbia University
Period1968–2022
PartnerVirginia C. Fowler
Children1
Website
nikki-giovanni.com
Giovanni speaking at Emory, 2008

Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni, Jr. (June 7, 1943 – December 9, 2024), was an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. She was one of the world's most well-known African-American poets. She was born in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Career

Giovanni was part of the Black Arts Movement. Her early writings supported human rights and fought against violence. Giovanni wrote to protest the unfair lives of black people. She also wrote about family, love, and children. Some of her writing is also for children. Jazz music and her family's stories helped her writing.

Death

On December 9, 2024, Giovanni died from problems caused by lung cancer at a hospital in Blacksburg, Virginia. She was 81.

Achievements

Giovanni wrote Gemini, which was given the National Book Award.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Williams, Andreá N. (2018). "Giovanni, Nikki". World Book.[permanent dead link]
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Nikki Giovanni". Biography in Context. Nov 24, 2014.
  3. ↑ Green, Penelope (December 9, 2024). "Nikki Giovanni, Poet Who Wrote of Black Joy, Dies at 81". The New York Times. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  4. ↑ Johnson, Leslie (December 10, 2024). "Well-known Virginia Tech professor dies at 81". www.wdbj7.com.