Introduction
Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet and is among the foremost authors of the Black Arts Movement. Her notable poetry books include Black Judgment and Those Who Ride the Night Winds, both of which were written with influence from the Black Arts Movement and the Black Power movement that took place in the 1960s (Smethurst 37). The artistic inspiration of the poet came from the desire to express and reclaim African American integrity at a time when both racism and misogyny ran rampant. In the context of the sociopolitical upheaval that characterized the Civil Rights Movement, Giovanni employed the poetry medium to challenge the racist and sexist stereotypes and counter white-dominating cultural roles. Through her work, the poet aimed to create a more equal, just, and inclusive society in which the Black Arts Movement is celebrated (Neal 30). Moreover, she gave special attention to Black women’s issues and acknowledged the immense role that the group played in society. In her poems “Ego Tripping” and “Nikki Rossa,” the author stood against patriarchal attitudes and gender roles by rejecting the stereotypical notions of femininity, embracing female agency and power, and refusing to comply with limited gender roles.
Discussion
Much of Giovanni’s writings are inspired by her personal experiences, which shows that biographical aspects of artists’ work play a significant role in their inspiration. In “Nikki-Rossa,” which was written in 1968, the author reflects on her experience growing up in a working-class Black family, which was challenging most of the time – “childhood remembrances are always a drag if you’re Black” (Giovanni “Nikki-Rosa”). However, those experiences, however dreary they may sound, are what shape a Black person and provide the ground for the development of a person. From the author’s perspective, if a Black individual becomes famous one day, many people fail to acknowledge that childhood experiences brought happiness and joy, especially when it comes to spending time with family.
Such a perspective illustrates the lack of understanding of the Black experience and its simplification. Even though it is hard to grow up in a family where a father could not meet his career dreams and goals and struggled to provide for his family, being poor is not the focus. Every family, regardless of race, will have their issues, such as the mother and father arguing or the father drinking. However, looking past the negative, what many people do appreciate about their childhood experience is the community that surrounded them: “it isn’t your father’s drinking that makes any difference but only that everybody is together and you and your sister have happy birthdays and very good Christmases” (Giovanni “Nikki-Rosa”). Despite the challenges, there were good times that can never be taken away from the author.
The poet adamantly emphasizes the fact that the misrepresentations that White people often have do not hold power over the Black experience because they do not understand what it truly feels like to grow up in such an environment. This sentiment is expressed in the following passage: “I really hope no white person ever has cause to write about me because they never understand” (Giovanni “Nikki-Rosa”). Overall, “Nikki-Rossa” puts Giovanni’s experience at the forefront and allows for contemplating the full complexity of Black childhood. The poem can be perceived as a response to false narratives that White society consistently perpetuates. To counter them, Giovanni shows her ownership and authority over her growing up story, making profound commentary on both the good and the bad, which is what makes up the experience in itself.
“Ego-Tripping (there may be a reason why),” written in 1973, can be seen as a step further in Giovanni’s exploration of race and gender, emphasizing the vital contribution of Black women’s creativity and power to society. Now knowing about the author’s experience growing up, this poem can be viewed as a call to power and equality through Black women’s pride, aiming to inspire her sisters to find pride in themselves and push toward what they want to achieve. A unique aspect of the poem is the use of capitalization, with only the personal pronouns “I” and “My” being capitalized, even though there are multiple proper nouns throughout.
In the poem, Giovanni lists the hypothetical accomplishments of Black women with the intent to celebrate and empower them. She writes, “My oldest daughter is Nefertiti the tears from my birth pains created the nile” (Giovanni “Ego-Tripping”). The use of such stark imagery shows the author’s conviction in the power of Black women and their impact on the development of humankind (Proitsaki 15). It is clear that she is proud of her identity, which reads as the opposition to the mainstream patriarchal and male-dominated narrative prevailing in modern society. Even when she calls herself “bad,” the epithet is used to convey the state of confidence and conviction in her excellence as a Black woman.
The focus on the self, making the speaker the most important person that has ever existed since the beginning of time intends to break the barriers imposed by the patriarchal and male-dominated society. The hyperbolic assumption of the protagonist’s self-importance entails both thematic and symbolic significance. In addition, the exaggerations used in the poem are metonymic as the narrator replaces herself for the entire Black female community, thus showing that the experiences of all Black women are interconnected not through their trauma but through greatness. In her interview for Medium, Giovanni famously said that “there’s nothing greater on Earth than Black women,” which is a sentiment that “Ego-Tripping” pursues (qtd. in Tapper). In the context of having to deal with the intersection between gender, race, and artistic affiliation, Giovanni clearly found it struggling with identities and priorities (Juhasz 130). However, by showing that a Black woman can do anything, the poet reaffirms her stance that it is not only possible to be a Black woman poet but also necessary to express her greatness.
Conclusion
To conclude, the examination of Giovanni’s poems “Nikki-Rosa” and “Ego-Tripping” revealed the poet’s adamant desire to stand against the white-dominated and patriarchal attitudes running rampant in society. Her contribution to the Black Arts Movement entails the rejection of sexist perspectives and the embrace of female power, which is essential for establishing a more equitable and inclusive artistic movement. Even though her experience growing up may be challenging, the poet moves beyond that, taking control of the narrative that belongs only to her and nobody else. The conviction in her importance and power as a Black woman transcends the negative experiences, inspiring Giovanni’s community to believe in themselves while pushing away the sexist and racist ideas that prevent Black women from reaching their full potential.
Works Cited
Giovanni, Nikki. “Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why).” Poets, Web.
Giovanni, Nikki. “Nikki-Rosa.” Poetry Foundation, Web.
Juhasz, Suzanne. “”A Sweet Inspiration… of My People”: The Art of Nikki Giovanni.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, 1975, pp. 130-146.
Neal, Larry. “The Black Arts Movement.” The Drama Review, vol. 12, no. 4, 2022, pp. pp. 29 – 39.
Proitsaki, Maria. “Empowering Strategies at Home in the Works of Nikki Giovanni and Rita Dove.” Mid Sweden University, 2017. Web.
Smethurst, James Edward. The Black Arts Movement: Literary Nationalism in the 1960s and 1970s. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2005.
Tapper, Christina M. “Nikki Giovanni: ‘There’s Nothing Greater on Earth Than Black Women’.” Zora Medium, Web.