Nikki Giovanni, the celebrated poet and key figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s, has died at the age of 81.
Giovanni passed away on Monday in a hospital in Blacksburg, Virginia, following complications from lung cancer, a condition she had battled since her diagnosis in 1995.
“We will forever feel blessed to have shared a legacy and love with our dear cousin,” said Allison Ragan, Giovanni’s cousin, in a statement on behalf of the family.
Renée Watson, a fellow writer and friend, announced her passing, saying, “The acclaimed poet, Black Arts Movement icon whose poems of wit, wonder, and wisdom were celebrated in children’s books, on keynote stages and television shows, and in more than two dozen bestselling poetry collections, died peacefully on December 9, 2024, with her life-long partner, Virginia [Ginney] Fowler, by her side.”
Born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni, Jr., on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Giovanni rose to prominence in the late 1960s. A graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, she was influenced by notable Black literary figures like Amiri Baraka and Dudley Randall. She later studied poetry at Columbia University School of the Arts.
Over her career, Giovanni authored more than 30 books, including her 1971 autobiography Gemini, as well as spoken word albums and children’s literature. Her work earned her numerous accolades, including the Langston Hughes Medal, the Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award, seven NAACP Image Awards, and 31 honorary doctorates.
She was also nominated for a Grammy in 2004 for The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection and received an Emmy in 2024 for Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project. Her latest poetry book, The Last Book, is set for release in 2025.
In a brief biography on her website, Giovanni reflected on her journey, saying, “My dream was not to publish or to even be a writer: my dream was to discover something no one else had thought of. I guess that’s why I’m a poet. We put things together in ways no one else does.”
Giovanni is survived by her wife, Virginia Fowler, her son, and a granddaughter.
