Nikki Giovanni, The Princess of Black Poetry

Some people descried Nikki Giovanni as been a Histon/ of Nikkis Family and Early Childhood. Awoman named Emma Watson was born in 1890, then at the early age of nineteen was married to John Brown Watson. John was a shy, gentle man who was twenty years older than his Wife Emma. Emma gave birth to their first daughter on January 5, 1919, thins was Nikkis mother, Yolanda Cornelia Watson. Soon after the birth of their child the Wastons had to leave Albany in a rush.

Emma had argued with a white woman shopkeeper about the lengths of some cloth. Having disagreements with white people was very dangerous for people of color in those days. Because in southern towns, lynching of the colored people were still popular. After leaving Albany Georgia the Watsons settled down in Knoxwlle, Tennessee. by buying a house in a black neighborhood.

Over the next years the Watsons had two more daughters Anna and Ages. John supported the family by teaching Latin at an all black school call Austin High.

Yolanda. John and Emma oldest daughter and child was smart, pretty and artiste, and athletic. In Knoxwlle College in the mid-thirties she met Jones Giovanni. He was a well-manner, hansom guy With an unusual last name. Gus Giovanni, and Yolanda got married after their graduation, and soon welcomed first child to the world on September 2, 1940. They had a baby girl named GaryAnn. A couple of years later Yolanda was pregnant again. Yolanda was hoping for a boy, and told Gary she would soon have a brother.

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The whole family started calling the unborn child Nikki. The on June 7. 1943 Yolanda had a baby girl. named Yolanda Cornelia Giovanni Jr. As she grew people began to call her Nikki. Yolanda and Gus both had college degrees, but in that time the job choices for blacks were limited.

Nikkis father worked as a bellhop in a local hotel, and stoked furnaces for a government agency. Shortly after the birth of Nikki the Giovannis moved to a northern Suburb of Woodlawn Cincinnati. Nikki loved her mother. She would love to pick weeds for her, As a result Nikki really didnt want to go to school and be without her mother all day. But when she got there and realized how nice her te4aacher was she loved it, Mrs. Scott was a loving warm and nice woman. She not taught the children things like math and English she also taught her students thing like how to make cream. To Nikki she made school fun, As Nikki grew a little older she decide that her purpose in like was to protect her older sister, Gary. Gary was not only pretty: she was smart and as regal as a queen. Shortly after Kindergarten Nikki learned that some boy had been pulling her sister hair, and marking her knees with a ballpoint pen.

Nikki challenged the guy to a marble duel. She didnt just beat him; she told him that if he ever messed With her sister she would fight hi. When Gary had learned of this, she stormed and told her mother about the happenings. Saying that the little boy was her friend, and that Nikki had no right to duel him. Nikki ran out of the house, screaming the boys name. Soon Nikki and the boy were on the ground kicking and pushing. After a while Nikki grew tired and the little boy won, Than day Nikki learned the important of not fighting other peoples battles. By the time Nikki Giovannis fourth grade year in school. her family a moved to Lincoln Heights. Lincoln Heights was a better working class Neighborhood, Yolanda had started teaching the third grade a St. Simons Episcopal School, While Gaiy attended South Woodlawn School, Nikki attended St, Simons Episcopal Scholl with her mother.

Writing was Nikkis favorite subiect. in this class students wrote stories poetry and letters. One day the teachers mother died. the schools principle call on the children to write sympany letters. This letter proves that Nikki developed a very unique writing style as a young child. Im sorry your mother died. But its just one of those things Sincerely Nikki Giovanni The Giovanni Family was poor, but Gus and Yolanda still tried to stress the importance of the love respect, education and independent. The Giovanniss also taught their two girls to be thankful for whatever you have. One Christmas Nikki, and Gary both wanted bicycles, but all their parents could afford was roller skates, When the other children in the neighborhood got bikes. Nikki parents tried to think of a way to make their children fell less disappointed. Gus told the girls [Its it terrible that their parents gave them bicycles for Christmas when its cold” They wont be able to ride them until it is Spring.

Teenage Years Nikki and Gary spent most summers and holidays with their Grand parents, John and Emma Lonvenia Watson in Tennessee. Her Grandparents lived in a cozy home at 400 Mulveney St. Nikki Graduated from eighth grade at St, Simon in June of 1957. IN the fall she started the ninth grade in a new school called Wayne High School. RaCial tensions were High because of the famous court case Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. In this case the United stated Supreme Court had ruled that students in all schools must be racially mixed or integrated. This decision had caused ugly protest and clashed between white and blacks<Josephson28y After a year of being as Wayne High. Nikki called her grandparents and asked if she could stay with them for the school year to attend Austin High.

Living in Knoxville started a special bond between Nikki and her grandmother. The two women were opinionated. stubborn, and goodrhearted. Living With her grandmother also meant hard work along With chores for example waxing the floor in the pantry, and Nikki also had to organize the refrigerator. Now that all of Louvenias children were gone she had enrolled in many community activnies, like the Book Club, Bridge club, Bible School, Delta Sigma( a black sorority) and Many civil right groups. Since Emma was informed she expected Nikki to be too. So Nikki poured tea at church programs, deliver food to the sick. and needy. and even march in demonstration. From seeing the example Nikkis Grandmamma setting she learned the importance of giving to others.

While at Austin high School, a English teacher persuaded Nikki to read the poems and stories of African American writers. Mrs. Delaney also encouraged Nikki to write down the feeling she was feeling when she was reading the poems. Through those experiences Nikki became interested in writing and being awriter. Instead of starting her senior year of high school in the fall of 1960, Nikki started her Freshman year of college at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. So I hope you dont only know that Nikki Giovanni was a Poet, a professor. an activist. a mother, and writer and a influence. but I hope you know that she was a real person with family and personality.