Guest Author - Sonya L. Wilson
I wanted to write
a poem
that rhymes
but revolution doesn’t lend
itself to be-bopping
“For Saundra” by Nikki Giovanni
The amazing poet Nikki Giovanni is an author and activist whose poetry enlightens and inspires. Nikki Giovanni is a poet who is known worldwide. She is also a writer, activist, commentator, and educator. She is one of the most widely read poets in America.
Nikki Giovanni, born Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni, was born or June 7, 1943 in the city of Knoxville, Tennessee. Her parents were Yolande Cornelia, Sr. and Jones “Gus” Giovanni. She grew up in the Lincoln Heights, a suburb of Cincinnati. She attended an Episcopal school in her youth and she later attended Fisk University
While at Fisk, Giovanni was a rebellious student. She ignored many of the schools rules. This caused her to get suspended before the end of her first year but she returned later and began her writing career.
On campus, Giovanni participated in several groups that dealt with issues of race. She wrote many articles for the school’s magazine
At Fisk, she received a BA in history and graduated with honors. She started her own publishing company shortly after she graduated and published her first book of poems called “Black Feeling, Black Talk.” She published her second book within the next year.
She also attended Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania. She began teaching at Livingston College, a part of Rutgers University, in 1969.
Giovanni’s independent and revolutionary spirit was seen early in her life. Giovanni gave birth to a son out of wedlock in 1969. She stated that she had a baby alone because she wanted to have a baby and she could afford a baby. She also had a child alone because she believed that the institution of marriage was not hospitable to women. She declared it would never play a part in her life.
The civil rights movement and the black power movement inspired much of her early poetry. This influence is seen in her first two books, “Black Feeling, Black Talk” and “Black Judgment”. You also see this in “Re: Creation” which was published in 1970.
Nikki Giovanni was one of the premier voices in the Black Arts Movement. The Black Arts Movement was essentially a Black Power Movement. The Black Arts movement was started by activist and writer Amiri Baraka. The movement has been describes as the most “controversial moment is the history of African-American literature”. The Black Arts Movement or BAM was triggered by the death of Malcolm X and inspired African Americans to start their own magazines, publishing houses, and art institutions. The Black Arts Movement influenced literature by portraying the unique voices of African Americans in an atmosphere that did not have any diversity. Participants in BAM expressed the view of ethnic and racial minorities, views that had not been valued by the mainstream.
Since her youth and the Black Arts Movement, Nikki Giovanni has produced an enormous body of work. She has written over two dozen books, which includes poetry volumes, three collections of essays and children’s books. A number of Giovanni’s books have received awards and honors. Her books “Love Poems” and “Quilting the Black-Eyed Peas”, were honored with NAACP Image Awards and “Blues: For All the Changers” reached number four on the LA Times Bestseller list. This is rare for a book of poetry. She has also produced spoken word albums that have won awards such as Best Spoken Album, an award presented by the National Association of Radio and Television Announcers.
Her writing is inspired by African American activists and artists. She even bears a tattoo saying “Thug Life” in honor of the slain Tupac Shakur. She admired Tupac Shakur and wrote the book “Love Poems” to honor his memory. She also speaks out against hate crimes. In 1999 while recalling the murders of James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard she made the point of asking what is the difference between “dragging a black man behind a truck……and beating a white boy to death …because he’s gay?”
Nikki Giovanni has earned the title “Princess or Black Poetry” and after more than thirty years of lecturing and publishing, she is called a “National Treasure” and “Living Legend”
