Nikki Giovanni is an African American poet and essayist who came to prominence during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. She joined the Black Arts Movement and became a leading poet advocating for Black Power. Her writing, such as in her books Black Feeling, Black Talk and My House, expresses her views advocating for civil rights, equality, and affirming black identity. Her writing draws inspiration from African American activists and artists and she is seen as a strong role model for fighting for civil rights.

1. NiKKI GIOVANNI
How her views on civil rights and equality
are expressed in her writing.
Marcus Brown
Professor Owens
English 1102
15 July 2009

2.  Nikki Giovanni is an African-American poet and
essayist who came to prominence during the civil
rights movement of the late 1960s. Born in Tennessee
and raised in Ohio, she was educated at Fisk and
Columbia universities. In the '60s she joined the Black
Arts Movement and became one of the leading poets
of the Black Power wing of activists. She has received
numerous honors and awards, including NAACP
Image Awards and a Grammy nomination for her
spoken-word CD The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection
(2002). She has also published books of poetry for
children.

3. HER BOOKS:
Black Feeling, Black Talks
My House
The Women and the Men
Black Judgement
And Many More

4. “Well, I think writing poetry is largely a case of the
heart. I don't have any question about that . . . but it's
also a big head case because your heart gets
interested in things, but if your head doesn't know
about them, you end up with this trite crap. I'm a big
fan of the black woman and so I'm always looking at
aspects of the black woman--what she's doing and
how she does it”.
- Nikki Giovanni

5.  Black Feeling, Black Talk, is a compilation of political
and personal poetry. Amid calls for revolution and
affirmations of blackness are an insistence on
maintaining one’s individuality in the face of the
political.
“My house"
 My House is divided into two sections, ““The Rooms
Inside”” and ““The Rooms Outside””; the first group
charts the poet's individual, personal growth, while the
second provides the social, historical, and cultural
contexts in which that self has been shaped

6.  Giovanni's writing has been heavily inspired by
African American activists and artists. Her desire to
fight for civil rights and equality makes her a woman
with great belief and strength: one who is capable of
being named as an almost perfect role model for
today’s generation.

7.  Poets.org: From the Academy of Poets
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/173> 14
July 2009
 Giovanni N, Black Feeling Black Talk, Harper
Perennial, 1971
 Morrow W 2003, Timeline, Nikki Giovanni Bio, http://
nikki-<giovanni.com/timeline.shtml> 14 July 2009