Nikki Giovanni/Instagram @ giovanni.ni kki Nikki Giovanni — poet, author, social activist, and college professor best known for her literary works and activism, died at 81. According to The New York Times , her wife, Virginia C. Fowler, confirmed she died while hospitalized for complications of lung cancer on Monday. In 2022, Nikki retired from Virginia Tech University as an English instructor. The poet received numerous awards and recognition throughout her decades-long care