Author of 30 published books, recipient of 25 honorary degrees and cancer survivor; Giovanni’s lecture was highly anticipated by her fellow sorors. Giovanni, known for her candid and witty personality and her sometimes controversial and unapologetic ability to report the naked truth, addressed the devastating divas with a lecture punctuated with cynicism and comedy and laced with love and passion. The 71-year-old outspoken poet empowered her sisters through personal opinions and stories such as meeting Rosa Parks at an airport and her phenomenal poems such as “Ego-Tripping” where she highlighted strength, beauty and pride in being a black woman. A tearful and passionate Giovanni also shared a detailed account of some of the harsh and grueling conditions that black women experienced during times of slavery and admired their unremarkable strength, faith and courage.
Giovanni expressed her love for hip-hop naming it “the language of planet Earth” and also spoke of the importance of obtaining a passport and the valuable impact that international travel will have on the lives of children and young adults today.
Click the link below to check out some photos form the signature event below.
