By Victoria Floyd
Poet and activist Nikki Giovanni transitioned on Dec. 9, and left a legacy of brilliant literary works and poems that will remain etched in American Literature greatness.
I had the pleasure of seeing Giovanni during a lecture series at North Carolina State University while attending St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh. Professor Diane Cherry asked a classmate and I if we were interested in seeing her, and of course, it was a resounding yes. After all, we had studied Giovanni’s most prominent poems and reviewed a few of her books in our American Literature class.
We loved her use of metaphors and the ability to pack so much knowledge in a simple poem, and there wasn’t a rhyme in sight.
We listened to Giovanni’s soft delivery as she delved into Knoxville, Tennessee, Ego Tripping, and my favorite, Beautiful Black Men. She mastered the art of storytelling with short deliberate phrases that packed a punch to the psyche, forcing you to dissect the intent of the poem and digest the message. On this cold and crisp evening, we sat in awe as this poetess told story after story with ease and boldness. She was simply superb.
I’ve always said Giovanni was the Zora Neale Hurston of the modern era as her poems mirrored the Civil Rights Movement in the “60s, with reflection of what should be in segregated America. Although there was no visible anger, it was a subtle but impactful scolding of what Blacks were facing while fighting for equality. She was unapologetically Black, outspoken, and remained true to the cause.
While her poems were always well received, Giovanni also wrote children’s literature and recorded some works as well. She was a dynamic force in the literary world, and her voice will be missed.
Giovanni will join Phyllis Wheatley, Margaret Walker, Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou and all of the great Black poets and writers from the Harlem Renaissance in Literary heaven; you have completed the assignment, please join us at the table for our literary fest.
Rest well Yolande Cornelia Giovanni, and thank you for your brilliance.