Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Nikki Giovanni prides herself in being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English." One of Americas most read poets, Nikki Giovanni has written over two dozen books, which include volumes of poetry, children`s books and collected essays. A CD of her poetry was a contender for the Grammy Award in the spoken word category in 2003.

Nikki Giovanni has received over 20 honorary doctorates and has been named "Woman of the Year" by Ebony, Mademoiselle and Ladies Home Journal. Additional honors include the Langston Hughes award for Distinguished Contributions to Arts and Letters in 1996 and the NAACP Image Award for Literature in 1998, 2000 and 2003. Nikki Giovanni is currently a professor of English and Gloria D. Smith Professor of Black Studies at Virginia Tech, where she has been a member of faculty since 1987.

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