Nikki Giovanni Speech

The Kent State Massacre involved many university student protesters and Ohio National Guard troops on May 4, 1970. The outcome of the Kent State Massacre ended with four tragic death and nine permanently paralyzed university students. The conflict between the student protesters and the National Guards became an iconic eye-opening symbol for America. It led America to reflect and see how divided we were as a nation.

Walking through the doctor 's office doors. I thought we came for just a normal checkup, but that 's where I was wrong. As my mother and grandma were filling out papers, I was asked how to spell something. I went to glance at the folder and I seen this sentence, “checking to see if tumor has grew.” I just read a sentence telling me my grandma is diagnosed with cancer. I felt like I couldn 't speak or think. I felt like my heart sunk to my stomach and I felt tears sliding down my cheeks. Right there, I wished there was something I could do. Why was this happening to my grandma? I felt helpless. But, I couldn 't imagine how afraid my grandma must have felt. That day, I knew that for my future job, I wanted to help cure people. Seeing my

In the poem “Ego-Tripping” by Nikki Giovanni, she normalizes her worth by continuing to royalist herself as a black woman who is essential to mankind. Giovanni creates a vision throughout the poem, which leaves a thought in mind of how woman should look at themselves with much confidence as Giovanni does. “Ego Tripping” was written by Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni, Jr. who was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on June 7, 1943. G9iovanni is a writer, poet, activist, and educator whose work was influenced during the Black Power Movements and the Civil Rights Movement. The poem was released in 2002. Her work provided a strong, militant yet African-American feel that was manifested through her writing. Giovanni work includes variety of topics ranging from race and social issues to children literature. She is considered one of the world well-known poets, within the African-American community.

The aftermath of a school shooting is tragic, depressing, and causes hatred for the lives lost and the person who took them. Everyone, especially the media, tries to interpret why the shooter killed their victims, or why they felt the need to end others’ lives and their own. How We All Miss the Point on School Shootings, by Mark Manson, explains what and why these mass shootings happen. He starts by using examples of shootings and the murderer’s past. This article has great viewpoints, use of argumentative reasoning, and shows what truly happens in the hallways of a school shooting.

In Maya Angelou’s “Graduation” she spoke about a fictional character named Marguerite Johnson and her eighth-grade graduation. Marguerite was always kinda of lost and selfish at times, and never look at how others seen things. But as the story goes on Marguerite starts to find herself and understand others. “Graduation” isn’t just about how Marguerite pass on to the next grade but how she has grown from a lost girl to a young intelligence woman. In this story the reader is going to follower her on this surprising journey.

Even though a culture has gone through drastic time should society be ashamed or willing to embrace it? Nikki Giovanni, a poet and civil rights activist, wrote the poem Ego-Tripping which was published in 1972. The poem is about how the Nikki Giovanni speaks of her origin resembling as a female god for those who admire her remarkable strength and power to embrace the culture she holds. By making herself a goddess who holds all these accomplishments, she gives African-Americans hope that success will reign in their path. For example, creating the Nile from the tears of her birth pains bringing life to Egypt. Furthermore, she claims that she is as swift as a gazelle noting that those who see her as prey will not catch her. Nikki’s confidence and power give her admirers a chance in believing that anything is possible. The poem Ego-Tripping was written during the time of the Reconstruction Era guaranteeing African-American equal rights. One case being the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case which upheld separate but equal facilities for black and whites. In like manner, the 1954 Brown v. Board

When thinking of a historical figure, many imagine a president, king, or general that lead a country to greatness, but never realized some could be the ones who influence the minds of society. Although not thought of as anything, writers and poets hold the key to shaping the society’s mindset without even knowing it. Being a civil rights activist, social activist, and role model for women makes Maya Angelou a historical figure who has made a huge impact in American society and in American history.

a. Maya Angelou was an avid writer, speaker, activist and teacher. As a result of the many hardships that she suffered while growing up as a poor black woman in the south she has used her own experiences as the subject matter of her written work. In doing this she effectively shows how she was able to overcome her personal obstacles. Her autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970) tells the story of her life and how she overcame and moved forward triumphantly in spite of her circumstances. She asks her readers to rise above their defeats, to not allow anyone to stop their dreams. In demonstrating how she succeeded she has been a role model for women of all cultures and races. The “Phenomenal Women” poem is a celebration

Angelou’s contribution to the Civil Rights Movement and her achievements as an activist were remarkable. While these achievements seem to be enough to last a lifetime, the Civil Rights Movement was only the beginning for Angelou. Angelou worked as an outspoken Civil Rights activist during the movement. But even after the Civil Rights Movement had ended, she continued to be a voice of humanity, speaking out against anything that harmed the human spirit. Angelou moved on to influence American society as a whole, from the 1970’s to the day she died, May 28, 2014. She was a multi-talented person as Toni Morrison, a friend and contemporary of Angelou, expressed: “She had 19 talents and used 10. And she was a real original.” (qtd, in Sherwell, 2014).

The German philosopher Nietzsche once said, “That which does not kill us, make us stronger”, and in many instances this is exactly the case. In most every instance of tragedy or hardship, the people affected must either yield to or rise above their situation, and in rising above, develop or display extraordinary and exemplary traits uniquely fitted to dealing with that situation. As a result, without adversity, these talents would be left unused. There are instances in which people crack under the pressure or sink to the expectations of their situation, but, depending on the character of the person involved, they may take the situation and use it to better themselves. It is a unique opportunity to utilize or develop traits that often remain

On December 14th, 2012 the United States of America broadcasted the third deadliest massacre by one man alone of 26 lives. (Wikipedia) Bullets rang through the halls of Sandy Hook Elementary School that morning, murdering 20 children and 6 adults. Each child had a name, a family, and a future they never got to fulfil. During the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre, parents were terrified of the possibility their kid could be next. The nation in return rose to action and changed to insure safety across America. The Sandy Hook Massacre affected the US tremendously, creating awareness, more school security, and a new effective lockdown procedure at schools.

Imagine its an ordinary day at your college, everything happening in perfect sync and it is normal but all of a sudden you hear a gunshot, then another one and it keeps happening? Imagine this situation and you have nothing to protect yourself with, now imagine it with you having a gun with you to protect yourself from the shooter, wouldn’t that make you feel safe and secure? In 2013, at least 27 shootings occurred in or near a college. Eighteen peoples were casualties of these tragedies and a lot more had injuries connected to the shootings. How does one stop themselves from becoming one of the victims, this can be done through the guns on campus legislation which is going around all states and 9 states have already agreed with it.

The ideas and subjects expressed in Nikki Giovanni’s works are a reflection of her life and times. Giovanni, born in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1943, is a well-known African-American author who reached her prime in the late 1960´s and the early 1970´s. All of her writings prove her experiences as a child and young woman. ¨frequently anthologized, Giovanni’s poetry expresses strong racial pride and respect for family. Her informal style makes her work accessible to both adults and children¨ (PoetryFoundation 1). Her writings include the poems “Legacies” and “Choices”.

The poems in this essay both talk about being a woman. “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou is about more of a confident woman while “Woman” by Nikki Giovanni is about a woman who wants a man to change for her. The poems though very different, are also similar because they both talk about confidence as a woman. By the end of both poems the narrators both know that they are women who are strong and do not need anyone else 's acceptance but their own. They know their own self worth and that is enough for them.