Nikki Giovanni Quotes

A white face goes with a white mind. Occasionally a black face goes with a white mind. Very seldom a white face will have a black mind.

It’s a sex object if you’re pretty and no love or love and no sex if you’re fat.

And I really hope no white person ever has cause to write about me because they never understand Black love is Black wealth and they’ll probably talk about my hard childhood and never understand that all the while I was quite happy.

We believe ‘Peter Rabbit’ because Beatrix Potter believes it. You have to.

The poet Melvin B. Tolson once said, ‘A civilization is judged only in its decline.’ That made sense to me. I would imagine the same is true for poets and tennis players.

The catchword I use with my classes is: The authority of the writer always overcomes the skepticism of the reader.

If you know what you’re talking about, or if you feel that you do, the reader will believe you.

If everybody became a poet the world would be much better. We would all read to each other.

I spend a lot of time learning about bird watching.

I’m just totally fascinated by people.

I had a really nice childhood; I had great parents. I earned my allowance by washing dishes, and in the summer I earned my allowance by working in daddy’s garden.

I appreciate and enjoy my age.

I am proud of the hip hop generation. They are good business people and, actually, good people.

Follow your image as far as you can no matter how useless you think it is. Push yourself.

For most of my life, I’ve thought of myself as pretty cool.

There are things you stand up for because it’s right.

Poetry and music are very good friends. Like mommies and daddies and strawberries and cream – they go together.