All systems require myths for their longevity. Nikki Giovanni More Quotes by Nikki Giovanni More Quotes From Nikki Giovanni White people really deal more with God and black people with Jesus. Nikki Giovanni godlywhitejesus Don't want to be near you for the thoughts we share but the words we never have to speak. Nikki Giovanni words-of-wisdomafrican-americanwant Storytelling is how history is passed. It's what our ancestors did, it's what everybody's done. It has to come back into a story because otherwise, it's stuck in this book and it's boring and it's academic and I'm not against intelligence and I'm not against education, I don't want to be misunderstood, but we have tell the stories to our young people a little bit early and history gives us a lot of things. Nikki Giovanni givingbookpeople Poems don't have to rhyme... Poems are about beauty and emotion; in other words poems are about feelings. Nikki Giovanni rhymeemotionfeelings I am honest; I try to be truthful. I like people and wish us well. We are not always deserving of our own best wishes. Nikki Giovanni best-wishestryingpeople Black Americans should be given credit for finding probably the perfect weapon; the weapon of the song. And that song continues. Most holocausts don't, so they have this bitterness left over. The phenomenon of the world, as far as Black Americans are considered, is that we are not a bitter people. Nikki Giovanni perfectsongpeople Photographers direct the eye toward a particular object. We who write, one hopes, are directing the heart and the soul. Nikki Giovanni eyeheartwriting If you're creating a slave situation, you would almost never bring women. And if we look at Slavery for example, we look at the Greeks and the Romans, right? It was always men. They never brought any women. Because women carry the seeds of the revolution, right? And if you have the men by themselves, then you can do what the French did with the Blackfeet, which is breed them out. Nikki Giovanni creatinggreekmen If I could come back as anything - I'd be a bird, first, but definitely the command key is my second choice. Nikki Giovanni choiceskeysbird Nothing improves your writing, I think, as much as your keeping writing. Nikki Giovanni writingthinking [To become a poet] The most important thing is to pay attention. The next would probably be to read; it's so important to pay attention. It keeps you from being bored, and I might add it keeps you from being boorish. Nikki Giovanni nextboredimportant It is not who you attend school with but who controls the school you attend. Nikki Giovanni visioneducationschool Poetry and music are very good friends. Like mommies and daddies and strawberries and cream - they go together. Nikki Giovanni daddygood-friendtogether Poetry is like air. It's one of the necessary things. Everyone benefits from poetry. And as you know, poetry is international. There are only two things that are truly international, poetry and wine. Nikki Giovanni wineairtwo VISIBILITY - You've got to find a way to make people know you're there Nikki Giovanni visibilitypeopleway Nina Simone's music is incredibly honest. That's like saying, "Why does Jesus' word still stay around?" It's incredibly honest and it's good. Nikki Giovanni honestdoejesus Baseball is already the world's most tranquil sport. It is probably the only active sport where you are not seriously required to be alive to play. Nikki Giovanni baseballplaysports I think that too many strangers were in her [Nina Simone's] life, and not enough people that she knew and loved. Nikki Giovanni strangerpeoplethinking I think it's the strength of her music, using art to make a statement. I think it really is. It was not a cheap gift. The gift was an expensive gift for Nina [Simone]. Diamonds are expensive. Her music was expensive. She paid for it, but I think it's her greatest gift. Nikki Giovanni ninaartthinking i hope i die warmed by the life that i tried to live Nikki Giovanni dies
