In memoriam, UHart remembers Nikki Giovanni, renowned poet, activist and educator. Giovanni came to prominence in the 1960s and ‘70s as a foundational member of the Black Arts Movement that overlapped and continued after the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. She has published more than 30 volumes of poetry, essays, and edited anthologies, as well as 11 illustrated children’s books. She is the recipient of an unprecedented seven NAACP Image Awards, the Carl Sandburg Literary Award, the Langston Hughes Award for Poetry, and countless others.
The acclaimed poet and activist visited the campus in 2020 as a featured guest at the University’s annual observance of Martin Luther King and his dream of equality and justice for all. During her visit to campus, Giovanni received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and participated in a question-and-answer session with University students. She also distributed her poetry, A Good Cry: What We Learn From Tears and Laughter, to students on campus.
“All I have is my voice and I am not going to let anyone take that away” -Nikki Giovanni