Legendary American poet, writer, and civil rights icon, Nikki Giovanni has passed away at the age of 81 after a long battle with cancer.
Born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr. on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Giovanni was a prominent voice in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
She “died peacefully on December 9, 2024, with her life-long partner, Virginia (Ginney) Fowler, by her side,” her friend and fellow writer Renee Watson said in a statement to CNN.
“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 told US media.
Her work often explored themes of racial and gender equality, reflecting on her childhood in Tennessee and Ohio, and her struggles with lung cancer.
Giovanni’s poetry collections, such as “Black Feeling, Black Talk” and “Knoxville, Tennessee,” showcased her unique voice and style.
