Prairie View A&M University’s Toni Morrison Writing Program hosted a public lecture for Nikki Giovanni. The lecture took place at The Ensemble Theatre in Houston, at 7 p.m. Giovanni read and reflected on her work as part of her appointment as writer-in-residence. Source: Nicholas Hunt/Office of Marketing and Communications/Prairie View A&M / Getty
World-renowned American poet, author, and educator Nikki Giovanni has died at the age of 81. According to AP, Giovanni died with her lifelong partner, Virginia (Ginney) Fowler, by her side, which was confirmed to AP by friend and author Renée Watson.
“We will forever feel blessed to have shared a legacy and love with our dear cousin,” Allison (Pat) Ragan, Giovanni’s cousin, said in a statement on behalf of the family.
Giovanni was a one-of-a-kind writing talent who tackled everything from racism to love to life and death in her works. An author of more than 25 books, Giovanni was a natural-born writer and performer. Her poetry collections have sold thousands of copies, leading to invitations to some of the biggest television shows, including The Tonight Show.
Often known as the “Princess of Black Poetry,” Giovanni championed the Black Power Movement in her poems and paid tribute to legends like Nina Simone and Angela Davis. She also helped pave the way by editing an anthology of Black women poets called Night Comes Softly.
Amazingly enough, Nikki Giovanni never stopped writing. When she died, she was working on her last book of poetry, The Last Book, which is set to come out in 2025.
Below are some Nikki Giovanni poems that will lift your spirits while going through something. Poetry can speak to the soul, and Giovanni knew that.
Nikki Giovanni participates in the Phillis Wheatley Poetry Festival celebrating the bicentennial publication of poems in the Jacob L. Reddix Campus Union at Jackson State College on Novemver 7th, 1973. Source: Jackson State University / Getty
Balances
In life
one is always
balancing
like we juggle our mothers
against our fathers
or one teacher
against another
(only to balance our grade average)
3 grains of salt
to one ounce truth
our sweet black essence
or the funky honkies down the street
and lately i’ve begun wondering
if you’re trying to tell me something
we used to talk all night
and do things alone together
and i’ve begun
(as a reaction to a feeling)
to balance
the pleasure of loneliness
against the pain
of loving you
– Nikki Giovanni
