An Evening with Nikki Giovanni
35th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration
Join us for the 35th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration featuring world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator Nikki Giovanni.
This event is sponsored by the Chief Diversity Officer, the Office of the Chancellor and the Office of Multicultural Student Development.
About Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator. Over the past 30 years, her outspokenness, in her writing and in lectures, has garnered attention from around the globe. One of the most widely-read American poets, she prides herself on being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English." Determined and committed to the fight for civil rights and equality, Giovanni remains a strong voice of the Black community and dedicated to presenting the truth as she sees it. Her focus is on the individual, specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others.
Over her illustrious career, Giovanni has penned more than 30 books for both adults and children, and earned numerous honors and awards for her work. The recipient of some 25 honorary degrees, she has been named Woman of the Year by Mademoiselle Magazine, Ladies Home Journal and Ebony Magazine. She was the first recipient of the Rosa L. Parks Woman of Courage Award, and she has also been awarded the Langston Hughes Medal for poetry.
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
