Remembering Literary Legend Nikki Giovanni

Renowned poet and activist Nikki Giovanni passed away on Monday, Dec. 9, at 81 years old after her third battle with cancer. Giovanni, who was an English professor at Virginia Tech for 35 years before retiring in 2022, was Shenandoah University’s Commencement speaker in 2012 and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from SU that year. She’d previously visited Shenandoah in 1994, when she spoke on “The Responsibility to Dream.”

Giovanni was the recipient of numerous awards, published 11 illustrated children’s books, and was named one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 “Living Legends” in 2005. A documentary about her life, “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” won an Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking earlier this year. Her latest book of poetry, “The Last Book,” is scheduled for publication in fall 2025. Read more about Giovanni’s legacy at news.vt.edu.