Nikki Giovanni, a renowned poet, activist, book author, and educator known for her thoughtful work on race and gender, died at age 81 on Monday, Dec. 9 in a hospital in Blacksburg, Virginia. The cause was complications from lung cancer, a disease with which she was originally diagnosed in 1995.

Award-winning US poet Nikki Giovanni, who was at the forefront of the Black Arts Movement, died aged 81 after a long battle with cancer, local media reported Tuesday.

Nikki Giovanni did not dream of being a writer, but her writing left an indelible mark on America and the world.

Nikki Giovanni, the poet, author, educator and public speaker who went from borrowing money to release her first book to spending decades as a literary celebrity who shared blunt and conversational takes on everything from racism and love to space travel and mortality,

Nikki Giovanni, a prominent poet, civil rights activist and educator, has died at 81. 'We will forever be grateful for the unconditional time she gave to us.'

Ms. Giovanni wrote poetry and prose that celebrated Black identity and attacked white supremacy, yet, at times her verse took joy in such ordinary pleasures as artichoke soup and a mother’s warm embrace.

Giovanni wrote more than 25 books, including pioneering works like her 1970 debut poetry collection "Black Feeling, Black Talk."