Beloved Poet Nikki Giovanni Will Be Laid to Rest in Cincinnati

Source: Jackson State University / Getty

Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni Jr., one of the most influential Black authors and activists of the 20th century, will be laid to rest in Cincinnati.

A public graveside service is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 19th 2pm at Spring Grove Cemetery, according to a release from her family.

Giovanni, a prolific writer, educator, and cultural figure, died Monday, December 9th in Blacksburg, Virginia. She was 81 and passed due to complications from lung cancer. She is survived by her wife Virginia “Ginney” Fowler, her son Thomas Giovanni, her granddaughter Kai Giovanni, and other family members.

RELATED: Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks Who We’ve Lost In 2024

About Nikki Giovanni

Born in 1943 Knoxville, Tennessee, Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni Jr. moved to Ohio with her family as a child. They settled in Lincoln Heights, one of the first towns established by Black residents. Giovanni was proud of being from the 513.

“I know I was born in Knoxville, but I grew up in Cincinnati,” she said in a 2013 speech. “I am a Cincinnatian.”

Her early works, like “Black Feeling, Black Talk”, explored themes of Black liberation and the Civil Rights Movement, which gained her national attention in the 1970s.

Giovanni’s influence extended beyond poetry. She engaged in public conversations with figures like James Baldwin and Muhammad Ali and produced the acclaimed spoken-word album “The Truth is on its Way“. Over time, her writing embraced themes of Black joy, love, and family.

In her later years, Nikki Giovanni served as a Distinguished Professor in the English Department at Virginia Tech. She was also an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Giovanni fought cancer off and on since the 1990s. Her family noted she passed peacefully with her wife Ginney by her side. Dubbed the “Princess of Black Poetry,” Nikki Giovanni leaves behind an incomparable legacy of literary brilliance and cultural advocacy.

, Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni Jr., one of the most influential Black authors and activists of the 20th century, will be laid to rest in Cincinnati. A public graveside service is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 19th 2pm at Spring Grove Cemetery, according to a release from her family. Giovanni, a prolific writer, educator, and cultural figure,, , Read More, App Feed, News, Newsletter, News Archives – Black America Web, [#item_full_content].