~Nikki Giovanni~

Two nights ago, I had the pleasure of attending the keynote speech of Nikki Giovanni. She came to ASU to commemorate and participate in the universities' celebration. As I walked in the 'all too familiar' doors of the student union, she was seated at a table outside the hall where she was to speak.  There was a crowd around her stealing photos and trying to meet this legend. I shied away from getting a photo with her for three reasons; a.) She was already crowded, b.) Time was running close to her speech, c.) Most importantly, I didn't have a camera! :) I still regret not trying to get some sort of photo, but nonetheless I was able to go and participate in the event, that memory is enough. As 7pm arrived, I sat second row back and settled in to hear what she had to say. To be honest, before this event, I had my reservations about this lady. I had read her poetry and enjoyed most of it, but found some of it to be a bit racist, for lack of a better word. Here is an example of one of the poems that I was unsure of:
Balances

in life one is always balancing like we juggle our mothers against our fathers or one teacher against another (only to balance our grade average) 3 grains of salt to one ounce truth our sweet black essence or the funky honkies down the street and lately i've begun wondering if you're trying to tell me something we used to talk all night and do things alone together and i've begun (as a reaction to a feeling) to balance the pleasure of loneliness against the pain of loving you

I didn't know what to expect when I arrived at the hall. I was worried that this would be a white bashing event. That I couldn't have stood for. For those who don't know much about this author and poet, she is known for her fight for civil rights. She grew up, for the most part, in the south, in the sixties. She witnessed a lot of injustice in her life and is not afraid to speak out against it. Seeing her in action, I began to better understand her.  While some of her comments may border on racism, I don't think that is her intent. I think it is more of her trying to explain what it is that she has witnessed and her expression of a general viewpoint of certain moments in her life. She writes about life experiences as she saw them in that moment, depending on the what was going on and when it was occurring. There could be a lot of factors playing into her choice of words.  I don't believe she was generalizing. As she approached the microphone and began to speak, humbleness radiated. She was hilarious in her speech and said what she felt without holding back. While I had already had respect for her, this event roused in me a bigger sense of understanding. The speech was filtrated with her opinions on current events as well as past issues. She had a lot to say about our current president, and while I don't necessarily agree with everything she said, it was refreshing to hear such honest opposing opinions that could be backed up. Another fascinating part of her presentation, a part that I found most interesting, was her personal relationship with Rosa Parks. She was able to give us a second had re-account of what went on that fateful day. It was incredible to be so close to history. I truly enjoyed every moment and wish it hadn't ended so soon. I left the event inspired and excited about life and what role I could play in this world. It came at the perfect moment and I thank her for that. Thanks Nikki Giovanni! As she left us with her poem she wrote to commemorate Martin Luther King, I leave you with it as well.

In The Spirit of Martin:

   This is a sacred poem…blood has been shed to consecrate it…
wash your hands…remove your shoes…bow your head…I…I…I Have a Dream

   That was a magical time…Hi Ho Silver Away…
Oh Cisco/Oh Pancho…Here I Come To Save The Day…
I want the World to see what they did to my boy…
   No No No I’m not going to move…If we are Wrong…then the Constitution of the United States is Wrong…Montgomery…Birmingham…Selma…Four little Girls…
  Constant Threats…Constant Harassment…Constant Fear…
        SCLC…Ralph and Martin…Father Knows Best…
Leave It To Beaver…ED SULLIVAN…How Long…Not Long

But what…Mr. Thoreau said to Mr. Emerson…are you doing out?

       This is a Letter from Birmingham City Jail…
This is a eulogy for Albany…This is a water hose for Anniston…
   This is a Thank You to Diane Nash…
        This is a flag for James Farmer…
      This is a HowCanIMakeItWithoutYou to Ella Baker…
This is for the red clay of Georgia that yielded black men of courage…
          black men of vision…black men of hope…
      bent over cotton…or sweet potatoes…or pool tables and
 baseball diamonds…playing for a chance to live free and
   breathe easy and have enough money to take care of
the folks they love…This is Why We Can’t Wait      

          That swirling Mississippi wind…the Alabama pine…
that Tennessee dust defiling the clothes the women washed…
    thosehotwinds…the lemonade couldn’t cool…
 that let the women know…we too must overcome…
     this is for Fannie Lou Hamer…Jo Ann Robinson…
  Septima Clark…Daisy Bates…All the women who said
Baby Baby Baby I know you didn’t mean to lose your job…
        I know you didn’t mean to hit me…
 I know the Lord is going to make a way…           I know I’m Leaning On The Everlasting Arms           

           How much pressure…does the Earth exert on carbon…
to make a diamond…How long does the soil push against the flesh…
      molding… molding…molding the moan that becomes a cry that
bursts forth crystalline…unbreakable…priceless…incomparable Martin…
    I Made My Vow To The Lord That I Never Would Turn Back…
How much pressure do the sins of the world press
 against the heart of a man who becomes the voice of his people…
       He should have had a tattoo, you know…Freedom Now…
 or something like that…should have braided his hair…
    carried his pool cue in a mahogany case…
wafted that wonderful laugh over a plate of skillet fried chicken…
         drop biscuits…dandelion greens on the side           

This is a sacred poem…open your arms…turn your palms up…
      feel the Spirit of Greatness…and be redeemed