Nikki Giovanni

I’m glad I went. She was a very warm, entertaining speaker who was able to make strong points that had the audience applauding throughout. Despite the fact that I was sitting in a hot room at the Central Library shoulder-to-shoulder with people who were also sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, I thoroughly enjoyed the hour and a half that she spoke and would have loved for her to have been able to speak longer. Speaking of hot rooms, I was glad that I use Sure deodorant – any other brand would have been labeled Uncertain with the conditions in the room. With her hour and a half, she recreated a communal feeling of being Black and proud that not many people are able to produce, especially in a mixed setting. In addition to her social commentary on Black history from the perspective of survival and incredible reinvention, she also delivered a few stinging blows. Part of me would love to hear her REAL opinion of Condoleeza Rice, although the comment that she gave truly left the opinion that she wasn’t a charter member of her fan club.