Nikki Giovanni

Who they were

Nikki Giovanni, American poet, writer and activist (born 1943)

Early life

Born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr. on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, she grew up in a middle-class family with strong ties to education and activism. Her grandmother, Louvenia Terrell, was a major influence on her intellectual development and political consciousness.

Path and career

Giovanni earned her BA from Fisk University in 1967 and became active in the Black Arts Movement during the late 1960s. She published her first poetry collection, *Black Feeling Black Talk*, in 1968, which established her as a significant literary voice.

She taught at multiple universities including Rutgers, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech, where she was a University Distinguished Professor. Giovanni published over 30 books of poetry and prose, received numerous awards including the NAACP Image Award, and was nominated for a Grammy for her spoken word recordings.

Why this date

Nikki Giovanni appears on our December 9 calendar for 2024 as a death entry.