During a recent appearance at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, in observance of Black History Month, legendary poet, activist, and distinguished Virginia Tech professor, Nikki Giovanni, spoke of the continued need for study of the African-American experience and creativity in giving voice to our stories. In a humorous expose of storytelling, poetry, and anecdotal reflections stemming from years of writing, teaching and activism, she shared her view on several issues, provided advice for writers, and discussed her latest work. "In preparing for the future, we need to teach the African-American experience from the perspective of the people who endured it," Giovanni said. She spoke of the horrendous conditions suffered by enslaved Africans aboard slave ships as they voyaged through the Middle Passage, and how the disposal of human bodies into the waters dramatically changed the ecological conditions of the Atlantic Ocean.
"How did they endure the Middle Passage?" she asked. "How did they remain sane enough through the horrors of slavery to build new communities and societies? That's what we celebrate." Studying and revering our history and culture honors those sacrifices.
An advocate of hip-hip, she maintained that "The Black urban voice is the voice of the planet," and that many of the artists "are great business people who should be honored for their contributions." She has a tattoo of Tupac Shakur on her arm, and hails him as one of our contemporary lyrical and poetic geniuses who in mutual respect, gave her "a shout out" when he was a member of the Digital Underground. Her book Love Poems (1997) was written in memory of Shakur. In 2009, she published the companion book, Bicycles: Love Poems, which sold more copies on Amazon.com that year than any other books of poetry.
Acknowledging the complaints lodged against hip-hop because of the use of profanity and references to drugs and violence, she insisted, instead of complaining about the language and the message, we need to change the reality of the situations being addressed.
There still remains a need to bridge the gap between generations who favor other genres of expression and those who love hip-hop. Giovanni said this can be achieved by listening to each other's music and increasing our awareness of what is going on cross-generationally. She asserted that whether it is song lyrics or spoken word, "Poetry is poetry, from the plantation, to the blues, to the Black Arts Movement, to R & B, to hip-hop. She just keeps changing her clothes."
In reference to the current state of the educational system in the U.S., Giovanni believes that the constant reductions in arts programs and the apparent disconnect of Black children from science contribute to the problems. "Without arts," she said, "there will be no creativity in schools and that is one of the problems with children today. I don't know how Black children have been turned off from science when we are the descendants of great scientists, great people who have done great things."
Asked how we can get youth to express creativity, she said encourage them to speak up about what is happening around them, help them study our experiences and examine the circumstances that brought us to this point, and teach them not to allow outside forces to control their voices.
In response to a question about the divide between Black men and women that appears to be an ongoing controversy, Giovanni indicated she has grown weary of the topic. "I'm tired of the discussion about why Black men and women aren't together anymore," she said. "It's mental masturbation like the discussion about good and bad hair."
She told aspiring writers to get involved with projects, do more than the minimum, and study the narrative and history that will inform their writing. Additionally, do not wait to be accepted as part of what some regard as the mainstreamn or use that as a barometer for measuring accomplishment.
"When you're invited to do a project, say yes," Giovanni advised. "If you do only what people ask you to do, you haven't added to the body of knowledge. If you wait to be wanted, you won't get anything done."
Giovanni's latest projects include "73 Poems for 73 Years: Celebrating the Live of Lucille Clifton," and 100 Best African-American Poems. Co-produced by Nikki Giovanni, the September 2010 tribute to Clifton held at James Madison University in Harrisonburg,Virginia, featured acclaimed national poets reading her (Clifton's) work. Clifton, who died February 13, 2010, was recipient in 2007 of the $100,000 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize honoring her lifetime work. She was also a three time nominee for the Pulitzer Prize, and Poet Laureate of the State of Maryland from 1979 to 1985.
The anthology, 100 Best African-American Poems, was edited by Giovanni, and features poets from various genres, generations, and areas around the country. It includes writers from Tupac Shakur to Langston Hughes. In a continued effort to solidify the connetion between the generations, about a fourth of the book showcases the work of young poets. Giovanni notes that the book actually includes more than 200 poems despite its title.
Giovanni has faced challenges in her life with the attitude that she does not know hardship, only opportunity. That does not mean she has not known sadness, she clarified, but she puts limitations and boundaries on the amount of time she allots for unhappiness. She allows herself to experience sorrow, but she does not dwell on it.
Biography
Nikki Giovanni was born June 7, 1943 in Knoxville, Tennessee to parents Yolanda Cornelia, Sr. and James Giovanni. She grew up in Lincoln Heights, a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. She graduated with honors in 1967 from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, then attended the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.
In 1969, she started teaching at Livingstone College of Rutgers University, and since 1987, has been teaching writing and literature at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia where she has held the title University Distinguished Professor since 1999.
Giovanni was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1995 and battled the disease until she had a lung removed. In 2005, she contributed to the book, Breaking the Silence: Inspirational Stories of Black Cancer Survivors.
Declared a "National Treasure" after more than three decades of lecturing, authoring and publishing more than 30 books, Giovanni holds in excess of 20 honorary degrees, was named one of Oprah Winfrey's "Living Legends" (2005), and was named Woman of the Year by Ladies Home Journal (1972), Mademoiselle Magazine (1971), and Ebony Magazine (1970). In 2006, Rosa was number three on the New York Times bestseller list, was a Caldecott Honor Book, and received the Corretta Scott King Award for illustration. At the forty-sixth annual awards in 2004, Giovanni received a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection. She was featured in 2000 on the Blackalicous album entitled Nia, for her track "Ego Trip," and received the NAACP Image Award for Blues: For All the Changes.
For a complete listing of Nikki Giovanni's publications log onto http://www.nikki-giovanni.com/.
Biographical Sources:
http://www.roanoke.com/ http://www.npr.org/ http://www.wikipedia.com/ http://www.nikki-giovanni.com/ Nick Madigan, Baltimore Sun, Feb. 14, 2010
Ashley Wilson, Spokesman, Feb. 26, 2009 http://www.msuspokesman.com/
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