A Journey
It’s a journey . . . that I propose . . . I am not the guide . . . nor technical assistant . . . I will be your fellow passenger . . .
Though the rail has been ridden . . . winter clouds cover . . . autumn’s exuberant quilt . . . we must provide our own guide-posts . . .
I have heard . . . from previous visitors . . . the road washes out sometimes . . . and passengers are compelled . . . to continue groping . . . or turn back . . . I am not afraid . . .
I am not afraid . . . of rough spots . . . or lonely times . . . I don’t fear . . . the success of this endeavor . . . I am Ra . . . in a space . . . not to be discovered . . . but invented . . .
I promise you nothing . . . I accept your promise . . . of the same we are simply riding . . . a wave . . . that may carry . . . or crash . . .
It’s a journey . . . and I want . . . to go . . .
Nikki Giovanni,
born Yolanda Cornelia Giovanni in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 7, 1943, was a celebrated poet, author, and educator. Raised in Woodlawn, Ohio, she earned her BA in history from Fisk University in 1967, where she revived the campus chapter of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Giovanni later pursued graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.
Her early poetry, influenced by the Black Arts Movement, included Black Feeling, Black Talk (1968), Black Judgment (1969), and Re: Creation (1970), featuring iconic works like “Nikki-Rosa” and “Ego-Tripping.” In 1970, she published one of the first anthologies of Black women’s poetry, Night Comes Softly. Over her career, Giovanni authored numerous poetry collections and 11 illustrated children’s books, including A Library (2022) and A Good Cry (2017).
Giovanni received many accolades, including seven NAACP Image Awards, the Langston Hughes Award, and over 30 honorary degrees. She taught at Rutgers University and, from 1987 to 2022, at Virginia Tech, where she was named a University Distinguished Professor in 1999.
A cultural icon, Giovanni passed away on December 9, 2024, in Virginia. Her final poetry collection, The Last Book, is set for publication in 2025.
