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Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni Jr.

(June 7, 1943 – December 9, 2024)

“Embrace the change, no matter what it is; once you do, you can learn about the new world you’re in and take advantage of it”.

Her most famous poem “Nikki-Rosa“, was first published in Giovanni’s 1968 collection, Black Feeling, Black Talk/Black Judgement.

was a renowned American poet, writer, educator, commentator, and activist. A leading figure in African-American literature, Giovanni gained worldwide recognition for her powerful poetry, essays, and recordings. Her work, which spanned a range of topics including race, social justice, children’s literature, and personal experiences, has made her one of the most influential voices in American poetry. Giovanni was celebrated for her ability to blend activism with art, particularly in the context of African-American identity, and was honored with numerous awards, including the Langston Hughes Medal, NAACP Image Award, and a Grammy nomination in 2004 for her poetry album The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection. She was also named one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 “Living Legends” and was an active member of The Wintergreen Women Writers Collective.

Giovanni’s career began in the late 1960s, during the height of the Black Arts Movement. As an outspoken supporter of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, her early poetry carried a militant and passionate tone, earning her the title “Poet of the Black Revolution.” Her poem “Nikki-Rosa,” among others, explored the complexities of African-American life, while works such as “Knoxville, Tennessee” explored themes of family and community. By the 1970s, Giovanni had expanded her work into children’s literature and co-founded NikTom Ltd, a publishing company dedicated to supporting African-American women writers.

Throughout her career, Giovanni received widespread recognition for her contributions to literature and education, earning 27 honorary degrees and the keys to more than two dozen cities. She was honored with the NAACP Image Award seven times, and in 2007, a species of bat was named after her, Micronycteris giovanniae, in recognition of her impact. Giovanni was deeply proud of her Appalachian heritage and worked tirelessly to reshape the narrative around the experiences of Appalachians and Affrilachians.

In addition to her literary work, Giovanni was a dedicated educator, teaching at institutions such as Queens College, Rutgers University, and Ohio State University. She spent the majority of her academic career as a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech, retiring in 2022. After the tragic Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, she delivered a poignant chant-poem during the memorial service for the victims, demonstrating her ability to use words as both healing and activism.

Giovanni’s legacy is defined not only by her influential body of work but also by her role as a fearless advocate for African-American voices and her commitment to using her art to foster social change. She passed away on December 9, 2024, leaving behind an indelible mark on literature, activism, and education.

Awards

• Received keys to over two dozen U.S. cities, including New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and New Orleans
• Honored with state historical markers in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Lincoln Heights, Ohio
• National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship (1968)
• Harlem Cultural Council Recognition (1969)
• Named Woman of the Year by Ebony Magazine (1970)
• Woman of the Year by Mademoiselle Magazine (1971)
• Woman of the Year by Ladies’ Home Journal (1972)
• Awarded the National Association of Radio and Television Announcers for Best Spoken Word Album for Truth Is on Its Way (1972)
• Life Membership and Scroll from the National Council of Negro Women (1973)
• Woman of the Year, Cincinnati YWCA (1983)
• Inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame (1985)
• Recognized as Outstanding Woman of Tennessee (1985)
• Duncanson Artist-in-Residence at The Taft Museum (1986)
• The Post-Corbett Award (1986)
• Ohioana Library Award for Sacred Cows (1988)
• Cecil H. and Ida Green Honors Chair at Texas Christian University (1991)
• Hill Visiting Professor at University of Minnesota (1993)
• Tennessee Writer’s Award from The Nashville Banner (1994)
• Tennessee Governor’s Award in the Humanities (1996)
• Langston Hughes Award for Distinguished Contributions to Arts and Letters from City College of New York (1996)
• Artist-in-Residence at The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts (1996)
• Contributor’s Arts Award from The Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing (1996)
• Living Legacy Award from Juneteenth Festival of Columbus, Ohio (1998)
• Distinguished Visiting Professor at Johnson & Wales University (1998)
• Appalachian Medallion Award from University of Charleston (1998)
• Cincinnati Bi-Centennial Honoree (1998)
• Tennessee Governor’s Award in the Arts (1998)
• Inducted into the National Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent, Gwendolyn Brooks Center of Chicago State University (1998)
• Inducted into the Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent (1999)
• United States Senate Certificate of Commendation (2000)
• 2000 Council of Ideas, The Gihon Foundation (2000)
• Virginia Governor’s Award for the Arts (2000)
• First recipient of the Rosa Parks Women of Courage Award (2002)
• The SHero Award for Lifetime Achievement (2002)
• Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa at Fisk University (2003)
• The East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame Award (2004)
• Finalist for Best Spoken Word Grammy (2004)
• Named one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 Living Legends (2005)
• Poet-in-Residence at the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association (2005)
• Child Magazine’s Best Children’s Book of the Year (2005)
• John Henry “Pop” Lloyd Humanitarian Award (2005)
• ALC Lifetime Achievement Award (2005)
• Honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (2006)
• Caldecott Honor Book Award (2006)
• Carl Sandburg Literary Award (2007)
• National Council of Negro Women Appreciation Award (2007)
• Legacy Award from the National Alumni Council, United Negro College Fund (2007)
• Legends and Legacies Award (2007)
• Black Enterprise Women of Power Legacy Award (2008)
• National Parenting Publications Gold Award (2008)
• Sankofa Freedom Award (2008)
• American Book Award for outstanding literary achievement (2008)
• Literary Excellence Award (2008)
• Excellence in Leadership Award from Dominion Power (2008)
• Ann Fralin Award from Taubman Museum of Art (2009)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Dedication and Commitment to Service (2009)
• Art Sanctuary’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)
• Presidential Medal of Honor from Dillard University (2010)
• Affrilachian Award from the University of Kentucky (2011)
• Library of Virginia’s Literary Lifetime Achievement Award (2016)
• Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award (2017)
• Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize (2017)