Kokomo Standard

Award-winning poet Nikki Giovanni to speak at IU Kokomo

Join Indiana University Kokomo for an evening with award-winning poet, activist, and educator Nikki Giovanni.

Giovanni, winner of the 2022 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the inaugural Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage Award, the American Book Award, the Langston Hughes Award, and seven NAACP Image Awards, will speak at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21 in Havens Auditorium.

Each person attending must have a ticket. Free tickets are available at the IU Kokomo Welcome Center in Alumni Hall (2300 S. Washington St.), and at all Kokomo-Howard County Public Library branches.

Karla Stouse, teaching professor in English and humanities, said Giovanni has a long history with the campus. She served as keynote speaker for the Enhancing Minority Attainment conference in 1994, and was a guest professor for summer sessions in 1995 and 1996.

“She loves IU Kokomo, and this opportunity came at a good time for her,” said Stouse. “She’s been warmly received every time she’s visited, and she appreciates that our students are interested and respectful and keen on meeting her. She’s just been a great friend to us.”

Since 1987, Giovanni has been a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech, where she’s taught writing and literature.

Her poetry, essays, and recordings have covered topics including gender, race, and social issues, and she is known as a champion for civil rights and social justice.

Giovanni has published multiple books for adults and children, including essays and poetry, as well as audio recordings. Her poetry collections include her first self-published book, Black Feelings Black Talk, and her most recent, Make Me Rain: Poems & Prose.

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.

Original source can be found here.