Nikki Giovanni, Treasured Poet, Dead at 81
She died of complications from lung cancer.
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Poet Nikki Giovanni has died at the age of 81 due to complications from lung cancer, reports the New York Times. Born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr., Giovanni was a decorated author with 27 honorary degrees from colleges and received keys more than two dozen American cities for her achievements in poetry and activism. She was a leader in the Black Power and Black Arts movements in the late 60s, and her influence in activism and the arts continued throughout her life. Her first book, a collection of poetry titled Black Feeling, Black Talk, was published in 1968 and sold over 10,000 in its first year, helping solidify her presence as an influential poet. Then, in the 70s Giovanni began writing children’s books like Spin a Soft Black Song. She’s received the NAACP Image Award seven times and had a species of leaf-nosed bats named after her, the Micronycteris giovanniae of Ecuador. Her final book, The New Book: Poems, Letters, Blurbs, and Things, will be published sometime in 2025.
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