As we face a challenging year in our society, it is beneficial to remember the influential voices from the past who worked to bring change and equality. One such voice is that of Nikki Giovanni. As an active voice during the Civil Rights Movement and participant in the Black Arts Movement, her words lent a powerful voice to advocate for change. In this Bookstr article, we will uncover more about Giovanni’s involvement in this historical movement and her comprehensive bibliography. If you are unfamiliar with her works, this is a perfect opportunity to learn more about Nikki Giovanni.
Trigger Warning: The mention of such topics as gun violence, racial inequality, and mental health, may be triggering to some readers. Please exercise caution when reading.
Who was Nikki Giovanni?
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1943, Nikki’s younger years were spent growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and getting accustomed to the environment of her impoverished Black community. Despite these obstacles and inequalities, her path led her to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in history at Fisk University in Nashville. As the Civil Rights Movement escalated, Nikki used her passion for poetry and writing to speak up during the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s. Her content explored societal issues, such as race, gender, sexuality, and family from the perspective of an African American. Her goal was to uplift her communities. Her political activism also led her to speak out for voting rights, both locally and internationally.
Between 1987 and 2022, she held a professorial position at Virginia Tech. As a distinguished author, she has been invited to lecture at other universities, including Rutgers, Ohio State, and Queens College. During her university career, she continued her creative writing journey and was highly regarded with numerous awards, including the NAACP Image Award, Literary Excellence Award, and The American Book Award. Besides poetry, Nikki has also produced children’s books, including an illustrated biography of Rosa Parks entitled Rosa.
What is the Black Arts Movement?
Nikki Giovanni was a crucial component of the Black Arts Movement, a campaign that spanned from 1965-1975 and comprised a collection of Black musicians, writers, playwrights, and artists sharing ideas that were vital for the Black Power movement. These ideas include self-determination, political activism, and culture. Initially founded in Harlem by a controversial poet and playwright named Amiri Baraka, the concept of the Black Arts Movement was a venue of expression for Black culture. Besides Giovanni, other famous activists who lent their talents to this scene were Audre Lorde, Ntozake Shange, James Baldwin, Gil Scott-Heron, and Thelonious Monk. However, within this realm, Niki was designated the “Poet of the Black Revolution.”
A Closer Look at Nikki Giovanni’s Writings
Nikki Giovani’s bibliography has encompassed decades. She explored multiple different avenues of creative writing. But poetry was her main love. Starting from her earliest work, let’s explore more of the publications that embodied Nikki’s triumphant career.
Black Feeling, Black Talk/Black Judgement
Her first self-published collection, Black Feeling, Black Talk/Black Judgement features her most famous poem, Nikki-Rosa. In this piece, Giovanni expresses her thoughts on growing up in her impoverished hometown while dealing with the misconceptions. Following the theme of reflecting on her roots, the work also includes a poem entitled, Knoxville, TN. The underlying theme of this collection is Nikki’s observations of the world around her in contrast to what lies inside herself.
Those Who Ride the Night Winds
This collection is dedicated to the larger-than-life people Giovanni encountered and their impacts on society. Nikki includes such names as John Lennon, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy. But she also reflects on the individuals close to her and their significance in her life. All in all, this collection is a love story of everyone she holds dear.
Bicycles: Love Poems
Making the New York Times bestseller charts, Bicycles is a companion to her Love Poems, which was published in 1997. Following the theme of love, it lays out a romantic, and sometimes erotic, celebration of love. Influenced by her real-life experiences while working through the Virginia Tech massacre, her poems also touch on the pain of loss, both publicly and privately. It attempts a reprieve for those struggling with trauma and crisis.
Make Me Rain: Poems & Prose
While continually attempting to balance the love in her heart, Make Me Rain tries to make sense of the current injustices we face today. Giovanni reaches back to her younger days with poems such as Unloved (for Aunt Cleota) and When I Could No Longer in which she tries to make sense of the abuse she’s faced. Her poems I Come from Athletes and Rainy Days weigh in on the inequalities and corruption of the political landscape of modern times.
“Embrace the change, no matter what it is; once you do, you can learn about the new world you’re in and take advantage of it.”
Nikki Giovanni, The Guardian
Change is inevitable. The world we are living in is transitioning rapidly. With poets such as Nikki Giovanni, we can attempt to use her reflections to make sense of what we experience and take up where the heart of the revolution left off.
To discover more Black poets, read our article 5 Revolutionary Black Poets Empowering Social Change.
For suggestions on other works of poetry, check out our Bookshop bookshelf: For the Love of Poetry.
