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Poet Nikki Giovanni turns 80. A look at her life through the years

Legendary poet Nikki Giovanni is celebrating her 80th birthday.

Areena Arora Knoxville News Sentinel
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Legendary poet Nikki Giovanni is celebrating her 80th birthday. Here's a look at her life through the years in photos.

Nikki Giovanni is known as "one of the most celebrated poets of our time."
Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
Poet Nikki Giovanni relaxes with her 2-year-old son Thomas in their New York apartment, Feb. 25, 1972. (AP Photo/John Rooney)
John Rooney, AP

Poet Nikki Giovanni relaxes with her 2-year-old son Thomas in their New York apartment, Feb. 25, 1972.

Austin High School yearbook photo of Yolande Watson, Nikki Giovanni's mother.
Austin High School yearbook photo of Jones Giovanni, Nikki Giovanni's father.
Saul Young

Austin High School yearbook photo of Yolande Watson and Jones Giovanni, Nikki Giovanni's mother and father.

A personal note Nikki Giovanni wrote in May 2008 to the late Avon Rollins, a personal friend of Giovanni's and a former executive director of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center. Giovanni has donated a large humber of her personal items to the Center.
Undated photo of Nikki Giovanni and Avon Rollins.
Saul Young

A personal note from May 2008 from Giovanni to the late Avon Rollins, a personal friend of Giovanni's and a former executive director of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center. Giovanni has donated a large number of her personal items to the center. Undated photo of Giovanni and Avon Rollins.

Historian Robert Booker sits in Nikki Giovanni's rocking chair at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. The chair is part of Giovanni's personal collection of items that she has given to the Center.
Renee Kesler, president of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, holds a print of a hippo that belonged to Nikki Giovanni on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Giovanni has donated much of her personal and academic items to the Center. The hippo is one of Giovanni's Favorite animals.
Saul Young

Historian Robert Booker sits in Nikki Giovanni's rocking chair at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center in Knoxville on May 16. The chair is part of Giovanni's personal collection of items that she has given to the center. Renee Kesler, president of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, holds a print of a hippo that belonged to Nikki Giovanni. The hippo is one of Giovanni's favorite animals.

Author and poet Nikki Giovanni reads from her poetry book "Knoxville, Tennessee" at the unveiling of a marker in her honor on Thursday, May 23, 2019.
KNS Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni's personal library is in the process of being categorized and organized at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center in Knoxville.
Nikki Giovanni's personal library is in the process of being categorized and organized at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center in Knoxville. Saul Young
Author and poet Nikki Giovanni pulls the covering from the marker placed in her honor on the lawn of the Cal Johnson Recreation Center on Hall of Fame Drive.
World-acclaimed author and poet Nikki Giovanni is surprised to see one of her former Virginia Tech students in the crowd at the Cal Johnson Recreation Center on Thursday, May 23, 2019.
Author and poet Nikki Giovanni pulls the covering from the marker placed in her honor in 2019 on the lawn of the Cal Johnson Recreation Center on Hall of Fame Drive. Giovanni is surprised to see one of her former Virginia Tech students in the crowd at the Cal Johnson Recreation Center. Author and poet Nikki Giovanni pulls the covering from the marker placed in her honor in 2019 on the lawn of the Cal Johnson Recreation Center on Hall of Fame Drive. Giovanni is surprised to see one of her former Virginia Tech students in the crowd at the Cal Johnson Recreation Center. Author and poet Nikki Giovanni pulls the covering from the marker placed in her honor in 2019 on the lawn of the Cal Johnson Recreation Center on Hall of Fame Drive. Giovanni is surprised to see one of her former Virginia Tech students in the crowd at the Cal Johnson Recreation Center. Ruth White/News Sentinel
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