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 a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.