BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech honored the life and memory of longtime professor and renowned poet Nikki Giovanni today at the appropriately titled “Black Love is Black Wealth: A Celebration of the Life and Works of Nikki Giovanni.”
Giovanni passed away at the age of 81 after a bout with cancer.
Many different speakers attended the memorial, such as close friend and former student Kwame Alexander, Virginia Tech President Tim Sands, and saxophonist Javon Jackson.
At Virginia Tech, Giovanni was a professor who taught creative writing and literature, whose tenure impacted hundreds upon hundreds of students.
One such speaker was Jordan Holmes, who was a student in one of her Creative Writing classes.
He told a story about how his relationship grew after taking a vacation with her.
“From there we actually took a trip to Ghana with Kwame [Alexander] back in 2014. We grew an even closer bond and since then we’ve been trying to build up on our friendship and relationship to the point where she ended up feeling like more of a grandmother figure than just a mentor,” Holmes said.
While Giovanni may not have wanted a memorial, Holmes and others believed it was important to carry on her legacy by sharing her poems and words to a wider audience, so that her legacy will continue to live on.
“I think it is almost impossible to honor all parts of her,” Holmes said. “But we will do our best today to at least highlight and show some of the beautiful ways that she has been able to impact and move our hearts, minds and spirits.”
A new exhibit was also opened up in Giovanni’s honor, displaying her poems through images and sounds.
