I am of the generation of segregation. Black Lives Matter is post. I said today, and I will say all the time, "If Nina [Simone] were here, she'd have her Black Lives Matter [T-shirt] on." I think they're great kids. They don't need me or anybody else to tell them what to do.

Nikki Giovanni

Categorized in : Thinking Kids Black

Deal with yourself as a individual, worthy of respect and make everyone else deal with you the same way.

Nikki Giovanni

inspiring happiness inspirational

There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair and disrespect.

Nikki Giovanni

success inspiring happiness

She knows who she is, because she knows who she isn't.

Nikki Giovanni

identity knows

Style has a profound meaning to Black Americans. If we can’t drive, we will invent walks and the world will envy the dexterity of our feet. If we can’t have ham, we will boil chitterlings; if we are given rotten peaches, we will make cobblers; if given scraps, we will make quilts; take away our drums, and we will clap our hands. We prove the human spirit will prevail. We will take what we have to make what we need. We need confidence in our knowledge of who we are.

Nikki Giovanni

quilts feet hands

A lot of people resist transition and therefore never allow themselves to enjoy who they are. Embrace the change, no matter what it is; once you do, you can learn about the new world you're in and take advantage of it.

Nikki Giovanni

transition people world

Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.

Nikki Giovanni

encouraging inspiring inspirational

Mistakes are a fact of life. If you are willing to be wrong then you have earned the right to be right.

Nikki Giovanni

willing mistake facts

The only way you can grow is to let yourself make mistakes and create contradictions. As we learn new things, some of our old attitudes will change.

Nikki Giovanni

mistake attitude way

We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again.

Nikki Giovanni

strong brave laughing

Once you know who you are, you don't have to worry anymore.

Nikki Giovanni

who-you-are knows worry

A lot of people refuse to do things because they don't want to go naked, don't want to go without guarantee. But that's what's got to happen. You go naked until you die.

Nikki Giovanni

inspiring reality people

We have a world to conquer...one person at a time...starting with ourselves.

Nikki Giovanni

conquer inspire world

The unwillingness to try is worse than any failure.

Nikki Giovanni

trying

Now, everything I do, I do because I want to. And I believe the best is yet to come.

Nikki Giovanni

best-is-yet-to-come want believe

We love because it's the only true adventure.

Nikki Giovanni

heartbreak love life

Libraries...house our dreams.

Nikki Giovanni

library dream house

America may not be the best nation on earth, but it has conceived loftier ideals and dreamed higher dreams than any other nation. America is a heterogeneous nation of many different people of different races, religions, and creeds. Should this experiment go forth and prosper, we will have offered humans a new way to look at life; should it fail, we will simply go the way of all failed civilizations.

Nikki Giovanni

race dream civilization

I want to be clear about this. If you wrote from experience, you'd get maybe one book, maybe three poems. Writers write from empathy.

Nikki Giovanni

empathy writing book

Show me someone not full of herself and I'll show you a hungry person.

Nikki Giovanni

hungry show-me beauty

We obviously need the truth. We're living in a country of lies.

Nikki Giovanni

country lying needs