Email this article to a friend
February 4, 2008
Black History Month Celebration Brings Well-Known Poet, Activist and Educator to Texas Tech
Nikki Giovanni to speak to students about equality and civil rights issues.
Written by Ben Samples
Nikki Giovanni has published some 30 books for both children and adults. Her books, as well as her spoken word recordings, have received honors, awards and recognition worldwide.
The Texas Tech University Libraries will host internationally acclaimed poet, activist and educator Nikki Giovanni at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, in the Allen Theatre, located in the Student Union Building.
The libraries will hold the event in conjunction with the African-American Education Summit at Texas Tech entitled “Save Ourselves, Save Our Students.”
Giovanni, a distinguished professor of English at Virginia Tech University, is most widely known for her candor in writing and lectures on issues surrounding civil rights and equality.
“When I learned that we had an opportunity to bring Nikki Giovanni to Texas Tech, I didn’t think twice,” said Donald Dyal, dean of libraries. “When you look at her life, it’s easy to see that this is one gutsy lady. She speaks her mind and stands for her beliefs.”
Giovanni has received numerous honors, including The Chicago Public Library Foundation's Carl Sandburg Literary Award for lifetime achievement, the Langston Hughes Medal for Outstanding Poetry and the first-ever Rosa Parks Woman of Courage Award.
“In higher education and everywhere else, courage is too often talked about and too little exhibited,” Dyal said. “Professor Giovanni speaks not just to African-Americans, but to all of us about fighting for what is right.”
Even Texas Tech’s own Robert Baker, a Horn professor of biological sciences, paid tribute to Giovanni in 2007 by naming a bat he discovered in west Ecuador, “Micronycteris giovanniae.”
“I wanted to honor a significant person in this world that I didn’t know – I came up with Nikki Giovanni,” Baker said. “I enjoy reading her poetry, and I come from the Deep South, so I really can appreciate what she has done for the state of race relations.”
Additional funding provided by the Texas Tech Office of Institutional Diversity. Admission to the event is free and open to the public.
Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing, (806) 742-2136. Web layout by Jessica Alexander.
Featured Video
Learn more about Nikki Giovanni. Watch Video.
Related
Nikki Giovanni is a proud Virginia Tech Hokie fan and holds the title of University Distinguished Professor on the Blacksburg, Va., campus.
Early in her career as a writer, she was called "The Princess of Black Poetry" and recently has been named to Oprah Winfrey's twenty-five "Living Legends."
In addition to her 2 p.m. visit, Nikki Giovanni will perform her poetry with Texas Tech jazz professor, Brad Leali, for "A Night of Poetry and Jazz" on Feb. 14.
The performance will be held at the Merket Alumni Center from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.