One of America’s most widely read poets, Nikki Giovanni, will speak at 7 p.m. today at the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium.

An activist for the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s, Giovanni maintains her prominent place as a strong voice for the black community through her poetry and prose.

“Because she is an African-American woman, we thought it would be interesting to see what she had to talk about,” said Tiffany Gonzales, speaker coordinator for Campus Activities Board.

All but one of her 20 books still are in print, with several having sold more than 100,000 copies.

She’s been named “Woman of the Year” by three different magazines. Her collection, “Love Poems,” was awarded the NAACP Image Award for 1998. Her most recent book, “Blues: For All the Changes” received the same award in 2000.

She also has been recognized as a “University Distinguished Professor” by Virginia Tech University, where she teaches writing, poetry and literature.

“She is a very charismatic person, and students are fascinated by her,” said Virginia Fouler, professor of English at Virginia Tech. “She has an unusual way of looking at the world that people enjoy listening to.”

Giovanni also uses non-traditional ways to get her message across.

“She tries to recreate the experience in order for her students to learn better,” Fouler said. “She uses poetry and writing and draws on a person’s ability to be empathetic in what she teaches.”

Giovanni will be an interesting speaker as well as informative, Gonzales said.

“We wanted more diverse speakers, not just somebody from the comedy genre,” she said. “Even though we have had open mic nights in the past, we wanted someone with experience in the area.”

For more information, call the CAB office at 753-1580.