Virginia 2025 Regular Session

Virginia Senate Bill SR224 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		2025 SESSION
2	2
3		-	ENROLLED
	3	+	INTRODUCED
	4	+
	5	+	25103903D
4	6
5	7		SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 224
	8	+
	9	+	Offered January 28, 2025
6	10
7	11		Celebrating the life of Nikki Giovanni.
8	12
9	13
10	14
11		-	~~Agreed to by the Senate, January 30, 2025~~
	15	+	PatronHashmi
12	16
13	17
14	18
15		-	WHEREAS, Nikki Giovanni, an iconic American poet who was a leading figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, touched countless lives through her thought-provoking literary works, and inspired students as a longtime faculty member of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, died on December 9, 2024; and
	19	+	WHEREAS, Nikki Giovanni, an iconic American poet who was a leading figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, touched countless lives through her thought provoking literary works, and inspired students as a longtime faculty member of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, died on December 9, 2024; and
16	20
17	21		WHEREAS, Yolande Cornelia Giovanni, Jr., better known from a young age as Nikki Giovanni, was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, which always held a special place in her heart, and she spent much of her youth in Lincoln Heights, Ohio, near Cincinnati; and
18	22
19	23		WHEREAS, Nikki Giovanni excelled in academics and was accepted to Fisk University, a historically Black liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee, after her junior year of high school; and
20	24
21	25		WHEREAS, Nikki Giovanni was active on campus as the editor of Fisk University's literary magazine and supported the Civil Rights Movement by establishing a branch of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee; she ultimately graduated with honors in 1967, earning a bachelor's degree in history; and
22	26
23		-	WHEREAS, in 1968, Nikki Giovanni published her first poetry collection, Black Feeling Black Talk, followed immediately by Black Judgement, the two of which have been combined in later reissues; ~~the collections,~~ featuring masterpieces like Nikki-Rosa and Knoxville, Tennessee, quickly became a touchstone of Black American poetry, and readers were enthralled by her fearless wit and commanding voice; and
	27	+	WHEREAS, in 1968, Nikki Giovanni published her first poetry collection, Black Feeling Black Talk, followed immediately by Black Judgement, the two of which have been combined in later reissues; featuring masterpieces like Nikki-Rosa and Knoxville, Tennessee, the collections quickly became a touchstone of Black American poetry, and readers were enthralled by her fearless wit and commanding voice; and
24	28
25	29		WHEREAS, a prolific author, Nikki Giovanni crafted more than 20 volumes of poetry over the course of her career, including the most recent collection in 2020, Make Me Rain: Poems & Prose; her works covered a wide range of topics from everyday occurrences to racism, politics, mortality, and even space travel; and
26	30
27	31		WHEREAS, after the birth of her son in 1969, Nikki Giovanni was inspired to write for younger audiences and published her first children's book in 1971; she subsequently authored more than a dozen children's books and poetry collections, as well as a biography of Rosa Parks; and
28	32
29	33		WHEREAS, in 1971, Nikki Giovanni set her poetry to music in her first album, Truth is on Its Way, recorded with the New York Community Choir; she recorded several other albums from the 1970s through the 2020s; and
30	34
31	35		WHEREAS, in addition to her literary career, Nikki Giovanni taught at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University for 35 years and held a University Distinguished Professorship in the English Department; and
32	36
33	37		WHEREAS, among many accolades, Nikki Giovanni received lifetime achievement awards from the Art Sanctuary and the Library of Virginia; she was an eight-time NAACP Image Award winner, was listed on Oprah Winfrey's 25 Living Legends, and was profiled in the documentary film Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project; and
34	38
35	39		WHEREAS, Nikki Giovanni was a passionate advocate for social justice and systemic change, whose works empowered readers to make a difference in their communities, and as a modern luminary in the arts, she inspired generations of students, scholars, poets, authors, artists, musicians, and activists; and
36	40
37	41		WHEREAS, Nikki Giovanni will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her longtime partner, Ginney; her son, Thomas, and his family; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
38	42
39	43		RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby note with great sadness the loss of Nikki Giovanni, a preeminent poet and author, devoted activist, and inspirational educator; and, be it
40	44
41	45		RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Nikki Giovanni as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's respect for her memory.