Poetry is the Culture of a People: A Celebration of Nikki Giovanni

Join us for the opening of the Nikki Giovanni Papers at Boston University as we celebrate the influential poet, writer, and activist and provide the world’s first glimpse into her personal papers. The opening celebration features the Boston University premiere of the documentary Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project and talk back with the filmmakers followed by a reception and poetry reading with luminary poets. An exhibition will showcase the work and influence of Giovanni and will highlight how her work resonates with BU community members. Schedule of Activities Register for one or both events. From Left: Joe Brewster, Michelle Stephenson, Miles Brewster 2 pm – 5 pm: Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project film screening, followed by a talk back with filmmakers Michelle Stephenson and Joe Brewster, in conversation with Miles Brewster (Pardee ‘24, COM ‘25), filmmaker, educator, and former point guard for the BU Men’s Basketball Team. About Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project Through intimate vérité, archival footage, and visually innovative treatments of her poetry, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project pushes the boundaries of biographical documentary film by traveling through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentators. From Left: Julieanna Richardson, Tony Medina, Porsha Olayiwola, Saeed Jones 5 pm – 7 pm: Reception and Poetry Reading. Remarks by Julieanna Richardson, Founder of the HistoryMakers, the single largest collection of African American first person video oral history testimony in the world. Poetry Readings by Tony Medina, Porsha Olayiwola, and Saeed Jones. The Exhibition “Poetry is the Culture of a People:” Understanding Nikki Giovanni through her Archive, on display in Mugar Library, September 2026, curated by Fallon Murphy, Ph.D. Candidate in American Studies at Boston University. The archival exhibition, “Poetry is the Culture of a People:” Understanding Nikki Giovanni through her Archive, focusing on the first 10 years of Giovanni’s long career, will enable attendees to have an intimate understanding of her writing and life. The exhibition will guide viewers through some of Giovanni’s most well-regarded poems during the Black Arts Movement, her foray into politics in the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X’s assassination, and more. The exhibition also explores some of Giovanni’s newly discovered collaborations with musicians, including Nina Simone and Leontyne Price, and her collaborations and intimate correspondence that demonstrate how Giovanni fits into the Black feminist poetic and political networks towards the end of the 20th century. Hosted by Boston University Libraries’ Special Collections and Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center in partnership, the African American & Black Diaspora Studies and American Studies programs, the BU Center for the Humanities, the Creative Writing program, LGBTQIA+ Center for Faculty & Staff, LGBTQIA Student Resource Center, the Office for the Arts.