Clip: Nikki Giovanni-Speech

Eartha Terrell
Dan Caterinicchia

Slug: Nikki Giovanni-Speech
Long Headline: Nikki Giovanni leaves her mark on OSU campus after her lecture at Hitchcock Feb.4 2009
Short Headline: Nikki Giovanni leaves her mark at OSU during lecture


Nikki Giovanni leaves her mark at OSU during lecture
Nikki Giovanni, a renowned poet, professor, and social/political activist graced Ohio State with her presence for the celebration of Black History Month in Hitchcock Hall On Feb. 4, 2009.
She spoke to her audience with powerful words, coupled with comical antics, and thirsty minds were surely quenched with inspiration that evening.
One audience member even attributed Giovanni as being one of the major reasons she fell back into love with writing again.
Her topics for the evening ranged from the importance of clean bathrooms stalls in Walmart to more serious issues, like the importance of inner city youth for the future.
“Inner city kids are our future,” she said.
She also stated her views of the significance of the arts as well.
“The Arts are the basis of Imagination,” she said.
In classic Giovanni style she candidly spoke about her opinion on controversial issues.
She discussed the parallels of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and the right for gay and lesbian marriage, the inauguration of the nations’ first African American President, and she defended the Hip Hop generation.
She called them “Good Kids”.
She still managed to enlighten students with a few of her most recent works of literature.
The descriptive words of one poem in particular, entitled Going to Mars, seemed to dance right off of her lips and into the minds of young men and women as they intently awaited her next metaphor.
“We're going to Mars for the same reason Marco Polo rocketed to China… for the very same reason Shake ford was enchanted with penguins…It's the only adventure…,” she said.

In keeping with the theme of Black History Month the end of the poem encourages NASA to ask African- Americans for advice on traveling to such a distant land far away from family, friends, and any form of familiarity, all while being able to maintain ones’ sanity.
Giovanni suggest that NASA ask African Americans because there is no other trip more similar to taking a trip to Mars than Africans leaving their homes on their trip to the New World during the Middle Passage.
For more than thirty years Giovanni has transformed the lives of many people lucky to hear her speak, or read her work.
Her willingness to speak about social injustice and racial prejudice has led to her recognition as one of the most sought after black writers of her time.
“If now isn’t a good time for the truth I don’t see when we’ll get to it,” she said.
Some of her famous works include, Blues for All the Changes, Black Feeling, Black Talk, and The Selected Poems of Nikki Giovanni.
These all speak about the intense racial prejudice she experienced, and observed during the 1960s.
She has received numerous awards and honors including, Ebony Magazine, Mademoiselle Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal Woman of the year, the NAACP Image Award, Tennessee Governors Award and many more.

When asked how she had the courage to continuously break barriers, and step into unknown territories she told her audience that she simply couldn’t see living life any other way.
“Those who live on the Edge must learn to deal with the cuts, “she said.