[Condolences] Beloved Poet, Activist & Educator Nikki Giovanni Has Died At Age 81

[Condolences] Beloved Poet, Activist & Educator Nikki Giovanni Has Died At Age 81

The renowned poet Nikki Giovanni has passed away. Giovanni died on Monday, December 9, after her third cancer diagnosis, as confirmed by a statement from her friend and author Renée Watson.

She was 81 years old. Poet Kwame Alexander expressed gratitude in the statement, saying, “We will forever be grateful for the unconditional time she gave to us, to all her literary children across the writerly world.”

Giovanni published her first poetry collection, “Black Feeling Black Talk,” in 1968, which established her as a prominent figure in the Black Arts Movement. In this collection, she explores the intersections of love, politics, loneliness, and race. Her language ranges from spare and yearning to dense and powerful.

Later in her career, Giovanni became a professor at Virginia Tech, where she taught English for over three decades.

Following the news of her passing, tributes flooded in online as students and fans reflected on her monumental career.