Nikki_Giovanni

Have you ever heard of Nikki Giovanni' Nikki Giovanni’s birth name is Yolanda Cornelia Giovanni. She was born in Knoxville, Tennessee but she grew up in Lincoln Heights in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nikki Giovanni is an important author, woman, and African American. She wrote many books for both adults and children. She also won quite a few awards for her books. Nikki has been honored by magazines and won numerous awards for being a great person. Nikki Giovanni is a dedicated, respected, and successful woman. Mrs. Giovanni is a dedicated person. Nikki is extremely dedicated to being an author. She has written over thirty books in her lifetime. The number of books she’s written is pretty impressive, but the number of years she’s been writing for is more surprising! Nikki Giovanni has been writing for about thirty years now. She is also dedicated to and a big supporter of civil rights. Mrs. Giovanni is known s a “strong voice for the Black community.” (Nikki) She was dedicated to getting an education, too. “At age seventeen, Giovanni entered Fisk University as an early entrant but was dismissed at the end of her first semester because… her ‘attitudes did not fit those of a Fisk woman.’ She returned to Fisk four years later and graduated… with a degree in history.” (Andrews, 373) If all that time and hard work doesn’t show dedication, nothing does. Mrs. Giovanni is also an extremely respected woman. She has received twenty-five honorary degrees! Mademoiselle Magazine, The Ladies Home Journal, and Ebony Magazine have all chosen her as “Women of the Year.” Giovanni is known by most as one of the more important writers to come from the Black Arts Movement. (Fowler, ix) She was the very first recipient of Rosa L. Parks “Woman of Courage Award.” One scientist even loved and respected Nikki enough to name a species of bat after her! (Nikki) She has also been called a “National Treasure” and named one of Oprah’s Arnold 2 twenty-five “Living Legends.” More than two dozen cities have handed over their keys to Mrs. Giovanni! (Nikki) Throughout her career, Nikki Giovanni has had great success. Most of her many books did well. Her autobiography, “Gemini”, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Another of her books, “Blues: For All the Changes”, reached number four on the LA Times bestseller list. One of her books of poetry, “Bicycles: Love Poems”, reached number one on Amazon.com for poetry. Finally, “Rosa”, reached number three on the NY Times bestseller list. (Nikki) Those are only a few of her many books that were great! Nikki Giovanni is a successful, dedicated, and respected woman. Nearly all of her numerous books did well, she’s received many honors and awards, and she has worked long and hard on being a great author. Today, she is a professor at VA Tech where she continues to spread her great knowledge on writing.