World-renowned poet, educator Nikki Giovanni to speak at Jackson State

by Spencer McClenty
601-979-1457
spencer.l.mcclenty@jsums.edu

 

World-renowned poet, writer and educator Nikki Giovanni will speak at Jackson State University at 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 23, at the Rose Embly McCoy auditorium on the university’s main campus, located at 1400 John R. Lynch Street in Jackson. Giovanni’s visit, sponsored by the Office of Student Life, will headline the JSU Student Government Association’s annual Women’s Emphasis Week, which celebrates the achievements of women. The event is free. 

Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tenn., and grew up in Lincoln Heights, an all-black suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. She graduated with honors from Fisk University in 1968, and attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. She published her first book of poetry, “Black Feeling Black Talk,” in 1968, and within the next year published a second book, thus launching her career as a writer. Over the course of more than three decades of publishing and lecturing, she has come to be called both a “national treasure” and, most recently, one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 “Living Legends.”

       Giovanni’s spoken word recordings have also achieved widespread recognition and honors. Her album “Truth Is On Its Way,” on which she reads her poetry against a background of gospel music, was a top 100 album and received the Best Spoken Word Album from the National Association of Radio and Television Announcers. Her “Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection,” on which she reads and talks about her poetry, was one of five finalists for a Grammy Award.

       Giovanni’s honors and awards have been steady and plentiful throughout her career. The recipient of some 25 honorary degrees, she has been named Woman of the Year by Mademoiselle Magazine, The Ladies Home Journal, and Ebony Magazine. She was tapped for the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame and named an Outstanding Woman of Tennessee. Giovanni has also received Governor’s Awards from both Tennessee and Virginia.

         The poet was the first recipient of the Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage Award, and she has also been awarded the Langston Hughes Medal for poetry. She is an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and has received Life Membership and Scroll from The National Council of Negro Women. A member of PEN, she was honored for her life and career by The History Makers. She has received the keys to more than two dozen cities. A scientist who admires her work even named a new species of bat he discovered for her! Black Enterprise named her a Women of Power Legacy Award winner for work that expands opportunities for other women of color.

         The author of some 30 books for both adults and children, Nikki Giovanni is currently a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

Event Flyer: http://www.jsums.edu/announcements/1.14.11Gio.jpg