Nikki Giovanni's legacy lives through the writers who knew and were inspired by her

Kwame Alexander, Marita Golden and other authors mourn the death of revered poet and civil rights champion Nikki Giovanni.

The three-hour drive Kwame Alexander had taken countless times from Nikki Giovanni’s home in Christiansburg, Virginia, to Washington, D.C., felt different on Thursday morning. Three days prior, he had stood by Giovanni’s bedside with her family and a handful of close friends as the legendary poet and activist took her last breath.

Giovanni died Monday at age 81 of complications from lung cancer. Alexander spent the week with her wife, Virginia C. Fowler, and others helping with funeral arrangements.

But in the solitude of his car as he returned home, Alexander revisited the unique bond he and Giovanni developed over decades, and how it crystallized the impact she had on the lives of countless Black writers.

Kwame Alexander and Nikki Giovanni.Courtesy Kwame Alexander“This drive is tough but necessary for me to be alone with my thoughts,” said Alexander, 56, a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fiction. He and Giovanni had a tumultuous start to their friendship. Alexander took three classes under Giovanni while at Virginia Tech and received C’s in each.

He was not happy. “When I left college, I was done with her,” Alexander said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/nikki-giovannis-legacy-lives-writers-knew-inspired-rcna183834

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