Acclaimed Poet to Perform with Tech Music Professor
By: James Stewart
Acclaimed poet Nikki Giovanni will appear at Texas Tech on Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. in the Allen Theater.
The event will be hosted by Texas Tech University Libraries and will be held in conjunction with the African-American Education Summit.
Giovanni will also perform her poetry with Brad Leali, a Texas Tech jazz professor, at the Merket Alumni Center from 6:30 to 9 p.m. that day.
Leali is well-known in the jazz community and has played with both Harry Connick Jr. and the Count Basie Orchestra.
Leali said he has respect for Giovanni and felt honored when he was asked to play with her. He said she was is a leader that has never been afraid to speak out against injustice and inequality.
“I think that she’s a great woman. I think she’s not only a leader of the black community, but for women and the world, to be very honest with you,” he said. “I respect her very much.”
Giovanni has received numerous awards throughout her career. Among her awards are the Langston Hughes Medal for Outstanding Poetry and the Rosa Parks Woman of Courage Award. She is currently a professor of English at Virginia Tech.