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3 Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie Councilmember Anita Bonds
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8 Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember Janeese Lewis George
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14 Councilmember Matthew Frumin Councilmember Charles Allen
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20 Councilmember Zachary Parker
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27 A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
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30 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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34 To celebrate the life and achievements of Nikki Giovanni as a poet, author, professor and civil activist.
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36 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni organized the first African American arts festival in Cincinnati, Ohio;
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38 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni was a centerpiece of the Black Arts Movement;
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40 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni participated in National Poetry Month Celebrations in Anacostia;
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42 WHEREAS, advanced art in the District of Columbia by reciting her poetry at the Kenndy Center
43 for Performing Arts;
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45 WHEREAS, Mayor Vincent Gray proclaimed July 13th “Nikki Giovanni Day” in the District of
46 Columbia;
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48 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni founded her own publishing company, Niktom Limited, which
49 advanced the work of Black women writers, including Gwendolyn Brooks, Mari Evans, Carolyn Rodgers,
50 and Margaret Walker;
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52 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni sold out theaters across the country, reciting her poems focused on
53 race, politics, gender and love;
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55 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni self-published her first two books, “Black Feeling Black Talk” and
56 “Black Judgment” and is the author of more than 30 books, many of which are for children;
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58 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni’s autobiography “Gemini” was finalist for the 1973 Book Award;
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60 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni held teaching positions at Rutgers, Queens College and Virginia
61 Tech;
62 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2004 for her album, “The
63 Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection”;
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65 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor from Dillard
66 University, the 2016 Literary Lifetime Achievement Award from the Library of Virginia, and the
67 Caldecott Honors Award;
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69 WHEREAS, in 2022, Ms. Giovanni was conferred the title of University Distinguished Professor
70 Emerita by Virginia Tech in recognition of her exemplary service to the university;
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72 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni was a lifelong advocate of LGTBQ+ rights and visibility;
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74 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni was the recipient of the Langston Hughes Medal; four lifetime
75 achievement awards, including the Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award; the Rosa Parks Woman
76 of Courage Award; three governor’s awards in arts and humanities; seven N.A.A.C.P. Image Awards;
77 three lifetime, and thirty-one honorary doctorates;
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79 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni was named Woman of the Year by Ebony Magazine, Mademoiselle
80 Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, and the Cincinnati YWCA;
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82 WHEREAS, Oprah Winfrey honored Ms. Giovanni as one of 25 “Living Legends”;
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84 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni was an Emmy Award winner, including most recently a 2024 Emmy
85 for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking for her film “Going to Mars: the Nikki Giovanni
86 Project”;
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88 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni is the namesake of a newly found species of bat, Micronycteris
89 giovanniae;
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91 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni published her book “Blues: For All the Changes” about her battle with
92 cancer;
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94 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni was honored with historical markers in Knoxville, Tennessee, and
95 Lincoln Heights, Ohio;
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97 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni was named one of the Library of Virginia’s “Virginia Women in
98 History”;
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100 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni is set to release a posthumous book of poetry, “The Last Book,” in fall
101 2025;
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103 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni was a member of the Prince Hall Order of the Eastern Star and the
104 Wintergreen Women Writers Collective;
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106 WHEREAS, Ms. Giovanni is the recipient of the keys to the city for Dallas, Miami, New York
107 City, and Los Angeles;
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109 RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that the Council of the
110 District of Columbia recognizes the inspirational and fascinating life of Nikki Giovanni and honors her
111 legacy of literary achievement.
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113 Sec. 2. This resolution may be cited as the “Nikki Giovanni Memorial Recognition Resolution of
114 2024”.
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116 Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the
117 District of Columbia Register.
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