Poet Nikki Giovanni on white supremacy, the Capitol attack, and teaching the Virginia Tech shooter

Nikki Giovanni has spent more than five decades in the public eye, as an activist, poet and innovator.
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Born on the "wrong side of the tracks" in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the era of segregation, Giovanni came of age during the Black power and civil rights movements in 1960s in America. She came under the spotlight again in 2007, when the university she had been teaching at, Virginia Tech, was the victim of a mass shooting, carried out by one of her former students. The poem she wrote to commemorate the 32 victims, “We are Virginia Tech”, touched many people across the world.
In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Nikki Giovanni joins Krishnan Guru-Murthy to to talk about her life and work, how anger has fuelled her poetry at different stages of her life - touching on topics such as domestic abuse, segregation, Black Lives Matter and Donald Trump - and recounts her experience of the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.
Produced by Silvia Maresca.
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[@TheAArmstrong]

Mmmm amazing stuff, nothing tickles my progressive spot more than a black person taking about how racist everything is. Thank you.

[@LuzDoSol-yr5bv]

" Happiness is the decisions that you made." This is not something. Amazing !!!

[@DemarrcoSmith]

Truth is powerful! Thank you for this interview Queen Giovanni!

[@cbfall]

Love Nikki Giovanni! Outstanding poet she is!!!

[@tyleranyways]

Interesting comments. Anyway, whenever I hear Nikki talk about the shooting I get overwhelmed with anguish and hatred for that kind of evil. Her assessments are almost always spot on!

[@IntrovertMaxxing]

So we want hwite people to stop aspiring to want more? Why dont us blk people aspire for the same things, rather than to handicap others?

[@mynameisname567]

That's equity for you

[@carolmosher7745]

It's about white people taking more from Black people! And Black people aspire for white people to stop taking more.

[@HoneyBee-sw3ti]

The later part of your opinion is exactly what white people have done to others, especially to black people.

[@Notturnoir]

Thank you Poet Nikki Giovanni!!!

[@simonwilliamson682]

i just hear more race baiting and division sorry

[@bereal6590]

You're not sorry

[@TheAArmstrong]

@@bereal6590 Are you sorry??

[@molkakaminski]

Humans always want more

[@creatingpeace8945]

Just a freakin’ gift! Hoping young will read, memorize some cuz “You & I are ✨ exploding in our Blue Black skins”

[@johnlemon1863]

Channel 4 has 3.24 million subscribers yet hardly anyone is watching their videos. This ridiculous interview with this ridiculous interviewer and the ridiculous interviewee shows why. More race-baiting, victim mentality, virtue-signaling, garbage.

[@creatingpeace8945]

Or could be you

[@johnlemon1863]

@@creatingpeace8945 Err. Ok.

[@Hsg1553]

Incredible intro!

[@KeeAnaTaylor]

Poetry is going to change political spectrum of things I see

[@fintamaria2429]

What a wise woman, thank you dear lady for sharing your wisdom with us🙏

[@mastercabbage]

You must have severe brain damage.

[@randomguy6745]

Her first few sentences tells me she is not wise at all lol

[@jackcavendish8900]

Erm, when a black woman speaks, we all listen 💅 👸🏿

[@fintamaria2429]

@@jackcavendish8900 The night of the mind is with you.

[@OnlineEnglish-wl5rp]

She's clearly eaten up with resentment to the point where she tells lies

[@stuartfleming]

She didn't do a good job hahah. She is so privileged she thinks Trump is a Nazi Hashanah

[@mrelba9176]

This is going to wind up SO many people. This comment section is going to be a vomit pit.

[@liamfinn4168]

Agreed I don’t agree with a lot of what she said but I’ll try to keep it civil but as each day goes by we get less civil so I appreciate your sentiment 😂

[@PurpleMonkeyDishwasher-69]

It’s an old chestnut, but sometimes truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth.

[@OnlineEnglish-wl5rp]

@@PurpleMonkeyDishwasher-69 It isn't the truth though is it? White Americans aren't the highest earners and her comment about the British is rather ironic since the War of Independence was really about the colonists being able to break out of the 13 colonies to take over the rest of the America She projects so much it's unreal

[@heatherfrawley5260]

I don’t think it’s your job to determine what people should or shouldn’t have. This is a socialist construct. I do however believe we all have self determination. As a fellow human, it’s my belief that it all begins with education. Education is the great equalizer. Focus more on internal factors and less on external factors, this gives everyone the opportunity to be brilliant!!

[@alphonsosaulsby1514]

Education is the greatest equalizer. What are your thoughts on Critical Race Theory?

[@chinchilla2971]

🤣😂🤣😂💩🗑️

[@raymondmalatji1034]

This is a great interview...just the interviewer's HAIR 😂 Sir, just let go! Shave your head and stop distracting us

[@andypitt2848]

Thank you for this interview 👏

[@gswiftgs23]

Wish she had not mentioned Christian kinda lost me at that point , working very hard to get to heaven so can watch the sentient creatures of planet earth crash & burn each day through your crystal ball for the rest of eternity

[@livesteam_ss]

Race baiter

[@heatherfrawley5260]

Marxist professor. Definitely

[@0-1-x]

That lady is wack

[@user-hi6wf3tq1z]

Guff

[@matt.lehodey]

Talk about stereotyping 😵

[@run2cat4run]

Meaning?

[@ScratchNSniff6696]

Just give over on this subject and get on with your lives.