Nikki Giovanni famous quotes

Deal with yourself as a individual, worthy of respect and make everyone else deal with you the same way.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Happiness #Inspiring #Success

[My] Books are like puppies and children: you love each one for different reasons. I don't actually have a favorite because, if I were honest, I'm always more excited about what is coming.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Children #Book #Different

We write because we believe the human spirit cannot be tamed and should not be trained.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Believe #Writing #Spirit

I have not tried to tell the people anything. I have shared my views with the people but I have not tried to lead or correct them, assuming they need correction.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Views #People #Needs

Show me someone not full of herself and I'll show you a hungry person.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Beauty #Hungry #Show Me

I do not understand why any poet or writer would run for office; that's a different sense of who you are. I'm just a poet. I am as truthful as I can be. That makes me an artist. I heed the people; I do not lead the people.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Running #Artist #People

I would put books on par with chocolate, because a good book is delicious.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Book #Chocolate #Good Book

Everyone understands that love comes in many different packages and is used in many different ways. You cannot love beyond your years, nor can you fail to love beneath them.In other words, I think you get the love you need when you open your heart.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Love You #Heart #Love Is

There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair and disrespect.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Happiness #Inspiring #Success

I am a big fan of the electronic book. I hate to see the old bookstores close, but they have to reinvent themselves. I believe the First Edition bookstore will be the next thing. People will read electronically, then decide they want to own that book. The author will then be invited to the old bookstores to sign. I think books will always be with us, but they will fill a different need.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Hate #Believe #Book

Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Inspirational #Inspiring #Encouraging

The only advice [for new writers and poets] I can offer is to be yourself: not the self someone else wants you to be, but the self you are. Enjoy yourself and your life. But most of all travel and eat. That's how we learn.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Being Yourself #Advice #Want

Art offers sanctuary to everyone willing to open their Hearts as well as their Eyes.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Art #Eye #Sanctuary

She knows who she is, because she knows who she isn't.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Identity

I am so hip even my errors are correct
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Errors #Self Love #African American

Who I am really keeps surprising me.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Who I Am #Surprising

We love because it's the only true adventure.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Love #Life #Heartbreak

There're two people in the world that are not likeable: a master and a slave.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Two #People #World

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

#Good Friend #Daddy #Together

Hip-hop is a cultural expression - it's embracing.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Expression #Hip Hop #Hips

Life is a marvelous, transitory adventure.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Life #Adventure #Life Is

We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Strong #Laughing #Brave

If you don't understand yourself you don't understand anybody else.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Inspiring #Happiness #Success

I am totally fascinated by people and our history as I understand and continue to explore it. People have so much to give and so far to go and yet we have given and gone a great distance. It's really just interesting to ask: why not? And see where that takes me.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Distance #Giving #Interesting

White people really deal more with God and black people with Jesus.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Jesus #Godly #White

I really don't think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don't mind the failure but I can't imagine that I'd forgive myself if I didn't try.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Inspirational #Life #Inspiring

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.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#White #Black #Mind

Style has a profound meaning to Black Americans. If we can’t drive, we will invent walks and the world will envy the dexterity of our feet. If we can’t have ham, we will boil chitterlings; if we are given rotten peaches, we will make cobblers; if given scraps, we will make quilts; take away our drums, and we will clap our hands. We prove the human spirit will prevail. We will take what we have to make what we need. We need confidence in our knowledge of who we are.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Quilts #Hands #Feet

A lot of people resist transition and therefore never allow themselves to enjoy who they are. Embrace the change, no matter what it is; once you do, you can learn about the new world you're in and take advantage of it.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#People #World #Matter

We have a world to conquer...one person at a time...starting with ourselves.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Inspire #World #Conquer

Black love is black wealth
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Love Is #Black #Wealth

Everything will change. The only question is growing up or decaying.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Growing Up #Justice #Growing

Art is not for the cultivated taste. It is to cultivate taste.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Art #Reality #Taste

You must invent your own games and teach us old ones how to play.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Teaching #Games #Play

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

#People #Hip Hop #Proud

A lot of people refuse to do things because they don't want to go naked, don't want to go without guarantee. But that's what's got to happen. You go naked until you die.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Inspiring #Reality #People

It is not who you attend school with but who controls the school you attend.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Education #School

Don't want to be near you for the thoughts we share but the words we never have to speak.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Words Of Wisdom #African American #Want

I love you because no two snowflakes are alike, and it is possible, if you stand tippy-toe, to walk between the raindrops.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Love #Rain #Two

If I could come back as anything - I'd be a bird, first, but definitely the command key is my second choice.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Keys #Bird #Choices

the world is not a pleasant place to be without someone to hold and be held by.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#World #Pleasant

Love is the offspring of spiritual affinity and unless that affinity is created in a moment, it will not be created for years or even generations.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Love #Spiritual #Years

ever been kidnapped by a poet if i were a poet i'd kidnap you put you in my phrases and meter....
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Poetry #Phrases #Poet

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

#Thinking #Matter #Useless

Educational progress is a national concern; education is a private one.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Education #Educational #Progress

Black Poetry is not for Black People...it is for everybody
-- Nikki Giovanni

#People #Black #Black People

I spend a lot of time learning about bird watching.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Bird #Bird Watching

We obviously need the truth. We're living in a country of lies.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Country #Lying #Needs

One stands, in fact, in awe of the Constitution of the United States, though it is an idea and not quite a reality.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Reality #Ideas #Facts

There are some things we do simply because the doing is a success.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Success

Death is a slave's freedom.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Slavery #Slave

Iife/personality must be taken as a total entity. All of your life is all of your life, and no one incident stands alone.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Life #Taken #Personality

The ability to take pride in your own work is one of the hallmarks of sanity.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Pride #Self Confidence #Sanity

God knows it's a sign of a really sick mind to see grown people, adults with responsibilities, wearing class rings.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Responsibility #Class #People

Facts are only tools to gain control over yourself and other people.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#People #Over You #Gains

I think speeches and fruit should always be fresh.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Thinking #Fruit #Speech

You must be unintimidated by your own thoughts ...
-- Nikki Giovanni

Violence is like money in the bank; it's only helpful if you don't have to use it.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Violence #Use #Helpful

Writers ... I think ... live on that fine line between insanity and genius ...
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Thinking #Insanity #Lines

America may not be the best nation on earth, but it has conceived loftier ideals and dreamed higher dreams than any other nation. America is a heterogeneous nation of many different people of different races, religions, and creeds. Should this experiment go forth and prosper, we will have offered humans a new way to look at life; should it fail, we will simply go the way of all failed civilizations.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Dream #Race #Civilization

You're only as good as your last book.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Book #Lasts

BEFORE YOU JUMP OFF A BRIDGE OR HANG YOURSELF OR BE UNHAPPY PLEASE CONSIDER: LIVE FOR YOURSELF; THOSE WHO HATE YOU HAVE NO PURCHASE
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Hate #Bridges #Unhappy

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

#World #Would Be #Poet

The trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans. I say, the trip to Mars can only be understood through Black Americans.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Black #Mars #Understood

go barefoot and be warm all the time not only when you go to bed and sleep
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Summer #Sleep #Bed

But nonviolence was never for the oppressor; it was for the oppressed.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Oppressed #Nonviolence

All systems require myths for their longevity.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Longevity #Myth

The more you love someone the more he wants from you and the less you have to give since you've already given him your love.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Love #Giving #Want

Baseball is already the world's most tranquil sport. It is probably the only active sport where you are not seriously required to be alive to play.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Sports #Baseball #Play

Being Black and poor is, I think, radically different from being anything else and poor. Poor, to most Blacks, is a state of mind. Those who accept it are poor; those who struggle are middle class.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Struggle #Thinking #Class

I am a huge fan of the Black woman. I never hesitate to recommend her when times are bad or things go wrong.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Black #Fans #Black Women

And like an unfaithful mate, once a car has let you down you never sort of trust it again.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Car #Unfaithful #Mates

Poetry is the most mistaught subject in any school because we teach poetry by form and not by content.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Education #School #Poetry

I always like summer best
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Summer

Fanatics are, for one thing, boring and, for another, unreliable. They tend to burn out just when you need them.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Needs #Boring #Burn Out

you know a person is having a severe personality crisis if you see a high school class ring on a finger beyond the first semester in college. Male or female. It's a big sign saying nothing has mattered to my life since senior year.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Senior #School #College

I don't have a life-style, I have a life.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Style #Lifestyle #Life Style

For most of my life, I've thought of myself as pretty cool.
-- Nikki Giovanni

We black women are the single group in the West intact. And anybody can see we're pretty shaky. We are, however (all praises), the only group that derives its identity from itself.
-- Nikki Giovanni

#Black #Identity #West