Remembering Nikki Giovanni: Renowned poet and leader of Black Arts Movement dies at 81

• In dozens of poetry collections, she wrote about Black liberation and celebrated Black America in children's books, nonfiction books and spoken word albums. 
• She interviewed Muhammad Ali and writer James Baldwin. She regularly sold out performances nationwide where thousands showed up to hear her read. Oprah Winfrey honored her as one of 25 "Living Legends."

The day after the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, Giovanni delivered a 258-word poem honoring the 32 victims that started and ended with the famous "We are Virginia Tech."

• "We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry," she said. "And we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again." 

In an interview with Virginia Living last year, Giovanni said she would always live in Virginia because "I love the mountains. So there's no reason why I should leave."

• It was her now wife, Virginia C. Fowler, who had convinced her to move in the 1980s to teach creative writing at Tech. 
• And in 2020, two years before they would both retire, she told The New York Times "I recommend old age … There's just nothing as wonderful as knowing you have done your job."