Legendary poet and civil rights activist, Nikki Giovanni, has passed away at 81 years old. Her family, friends and admirers are remembering her as a “cultural leader who fearlessly spoke truth to power.”
Following her third lung cancer diagnosis, Giovanni passed away at home on Monday December 9, according to The New York Times. She is survived by her partner Virginia Fowler, who was by her side when she passed.
Giovanni’s first published work was the poetry collection Black Feelings, Black Talk in 1968, a book that heralded her a powerful figure in the burgeoning Black Arts movement of the 60s and 70s. A prolific writer, she published over 20 collections, a dozen children’s books and several spoken word albums throughout her lifetime.
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Her works not only earned critical acclaim, but an enduring position as one of the foremost luminaries of Black liberation. After her first works secured her a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, she would become the recipient of numerous accolades and a seven-time NAACP Image Award winner. Over 20 major cities have honored her with their keys, and she received honorary degrees from 27 universities. In 2005, Oprah Winfrey listed her as one of 25 “Living Legends,” alongside the likes of Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, and Toni Morrison.
But most will remember Giovanni not for the accolades but for the sheer power of her poetry.
While Giovanni definitely inspired the ensuing generations through her work, she also spent 35 years as an educator in the Department of English at Virginia Tech University, where she met her future life partner.
Later in life, Giovanni voiced fearless advocacy for the trans community. “It would be illogical if I were to tell the Martian I’m a Black woman,” she told The New York Times in a prior interview. “That’s because a Martian doesn’t know what Black is, and they don’t know what a woman is. So we know that race is illogical. It is a construct that is destructive.
“So I’m watching, for example, the transgender kids now, and I think they’re doing something wonderful, because they’re saying about their gender what I had already recognized—and I’m not the only one; don’t misunderstand—about race. They’re saying they will not be blocked by what somebody else thinks they are. That’s a hell of a step.”
There are many ways to remember the trailblazing poet. You might consider watching the award winning 2023 HBO documentary on her life, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project. But the best way is to keep reading her work. Her final poetry collection, THE LAST BOOK, is planned to be published next year.
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