Prayers: Renowned Poet Nikki Giovanni Has Passed At 81 [VIDEO]

Prayers are in order as it has been reported that famous renowned African American poet, writer, commentator, activist and professor, Nikki Giovanni, has passed away at the age of 81 years old.

Black arts movement icon Nikki Giovanni passed away, Monday, December 9, 2024, following her third cancer diagnosis, according to a statement from friend and author Renée Watson.

“We will forever be grateful for the unconditional time she gave to us, to all her literary children across the writerly world,” –poet Kwame Alexander 

Born Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni Jr., on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, published her first poetry collection, Black Feeling Black Talk, in 1968. It established her as an emerging figure out of the Black Arts Movement.   Nikki Giovanni later on became a professor at Virginia Tech, teaching English for more than three decades.   Nikki Giovanni, an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, worked all the way up until her passing was working on getting her last book of poetry out when she passed, titled THE LAST BOOK, which is set to be released next year.

Nikki Giovanni is survived by her wife, Virginia Fowler, her son Thomas Giovanni, her granddaughter, Kai Giovanni, two cousins, Haynes Ford and Allison (Pat) Ragan, and a nephew Christopher Black.

See video below