Nikki Giovanni

Born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni on June 7, 1943 in Knoxville, Tennessee,
Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and
educator.   She grew up in Lincoln Heights a suburb of Cincinnati (OH) and is
a graduate of Fisk University.  Inspired by African-American activists and
artists, Giovanni has been and is determined and committed to the fight for
civil rights and equality.

Known as outspoken in her writings and lectures, she is one of the most widely-
read American poets and prides herself on being "a Black American, a
daughter, a mother, a professor of English."   The civil rights and black power
movements inspired her early poetry collected in various writings including
Black Feeling, Black Talk (1967), Black Judgement (1968), and Re: Creation
(1970). She has since written more than two dozen books, including volumes of
poetry, illustrated children's books, and three collections of essays in addition
to recordings on record, tape, and cd.

Over the years, Giovanni has received numerous awards and recognitions
including Ebony Magazine – Woman of the Year (1970), Ladies Home Journal
– Woman of the Year (1972), YWCA Woman of the Year – Cincinnati Chapter
(1983), The Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame (1985), NAACP Image Award (2009).

Since 1987, she has been on the faculty at Virginia Tech where she is a
University Distinguished Professor.





Source (data):       www.nikki-giovanni.com        en.wikipedia.org       
Source (images):    en.wikipedia.org                   www.nikki-giovanni.com
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Posted October 2012