Poet, author and educator Nikki Giovanni — once called a “living legend” by Oprah Winfrey — is this year’s speaker at the Girls Inc. Lunch for the Girls.
The annual fundraising luncheon is from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 27 at the CHI Health Center.
Giovanni, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, won the coveted Caldecott Medal for “Rosa,” an illustrated children’s biography of civil rights heroine Rosa Parks. Giovanni has written more than 30 books, including poetry for adults in “Bicycles” and “Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea.”
Among her numerous awards are 31 honorary doctorates and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. Ebony and Mademoiselle magazines also named her woman of the year, and she was nominated for a Grammy Award for a spoken-word recording.
She rose to fame in the late 1960s as part of the Black Arts Movement, using inspiration from her African heritage to write about the Black experience in the United States. Her work explores race, gender, sexuality and the Black family.
“Ms. Giovanni’s unparalleled wisdom and empowering words will not only inspire our girls but resonate deeply within our community,” Girls Inc. Executive Director Candias Jones said in a press release. “She exemplifies what it means to create a future where our girls lead with confidence and courage and a boldness that we need.”
Previous speakers at the event include Malala Yousafzai, Barbara and Jenna Bush, Stacey Abrams, Gloria Steinem and Omaha-born Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar.