For Nikki, And All That’s Black

As we kick off North American Black History Month with 29 days of celebrating lesser-known Black History figures, we wanted to think of a title that accurately encompassed the people we’ve chosen.

We settled on “All That’s Black” as both title and homage to one of the foremothers of the Black Arts Movement, dubbed the “Poet of the Black Revolution,” Nikki Giovanni.

A recipient of several notable awards, including the Langston Hughes Medal, Giovanni’s writing is strong, militant and in your face about the sociopolitical truths behind the African-American experience. Her “Poem For A Lady Whose Voice I Like” features the line: “and she said: God created heaven and earth and all that’s Black within them” and I couldn’t think of a better way to articulate the importance of the figures listed below. Happy Black History Month, and if you’re “Ego Tripping’” after reading these entries…there may be a reason why.