Nikki Giovanni, a renowned literary figure and retired Virginia Tech professor, died on Monday.
Her death sparked reactions around the country late Monday and into Tuesday.
According to a university story, the poet, activist, and University Distinguished Professor Emerita was battling cancer for the third time when she died.
She was 81 years old.
Giovanni, whom Oprah Winfrey called one of 25 living legends, will retire from Virginia Tech in 2022 after 35 years as a professor in the English Department.
She kept up a hectic speaking, traveling, and writing schedule, even returning to campus in April to give the annual Giovanni-Steger Poetry Prize Award to undergraduate students.
“We can never let words be silenced,” Giovanni stated during the Moss Arts Center event. “We cannot let words be taken away from us. We cannot allow others to silence us because they disagree with what we are saying. Words are the most crucial things that humans possess. And, regardless of the circumstances, we must always remember to employ them.”
She is well-known around the world for her poems, essays, and written works that address social concerns such as race and gender and advocate for change. According to the institution, she has over 30 honorary degrees, written at least 11 illustrated children’s books, and won an Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking for “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project.”
Her most recent poetry collection is planned to be published in the fall of 2025.
Giovanni used her words to commemorate some of the university’s significant and tragic events, including poems written for the April 16, 2007, tragedy.
“Nikki Giovanni was a treasure who lived out Ut Prosim in countless ways, using her literary gifts to motivate change, encourage critical thought, inspire us to dream, and provide comfort in times of sadness and grief,” Tim Sands, president of Virginia Tech, told reporters. “Her spirit lives on in her words and in the students she inspired to express themselves through writing and poetry.” She will be profoundly mourned and remembered by her Hokie family.”
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