Overseer Regina Ravenell-Carr

This past year we suffered great losses, in the African American community. James Earl Jones, Louis Gossett Jr., Frankie Beverly, Cissy Houston, Quincy Jones, Bill Cobbs, Dikembe Mutombo, to name of few.  I am sure there are many others to be mentioned. However, there is one the sticks out from history of a young girl child in Brooklyn, NY. Yolande Cornelia Giovanni, a ka Nikki is a poetic voice that resonates in my soul!

Her accomplishments proceed her as being one of the greatest African American poet, writer, activist, and educator.  Her bio lists the many awards she received from the NAACOP, Grammy nominated, and an Oprah Winfrey’s 25 Living Legend. All I know is that she is a legacy in my book. A legacy is a result of the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person’s life. Giovanni gained fame as a public performer of her work, appearing on TV shows and sold-out lecture circuits before taking a position as a professor at Virginia Tech, where she taught for 35 years.

I recall my sister having Nikki Giovanni’s poetic album, “Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection.” I confess that at this time I was unaware of the authentic, creative, and profound spirit of this legend. It was not until I peaked in my adulthood, I revisited this album.  The track called, “Ego Tripping,” spoke to me. Ego Tripping” is a celebration of Black identity, strength, and heritage. It’s also a call for equality and power through pride, and an anthem for Black women. The poem was first published in 1972 in Giovanni’s collection My House. 

Here are some of the poem’s themes:

• Self-love and pride: The poem is a declaration of self-love and pride in African ancestry. 
• Inspiring pride: The poem is an anthem for Black women, and aims to inspire pride in the lives of women who have accomplished great things. 
• Drawing attention to one’s self: The poem suggests that “ego-tripping” is an act of drawing attention to one’s own image or appraisal of oneself. 

When she passed on December, 9^th, is year, I immediately went searching for this s[i]election. The Congo beats that accompany her is captivating; but listening to her citations and prolific words is revolutionary! Thanks to a trip to the African American Museum in Washington, DC, (with Bishop Lewter and the Hollywood Baptist Cathedral), I had the privilege of meeting her and taking a picture. To experience “Ego Tripping,” please see the link below! “I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal
I cannot be comprehended except by my permission

I mean . . . I . . . can fly     like a bird in the sky . . .

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[i] https://poets.org/poem/ego-tripping-there-may-be-reason-why – last read 1/7/2025