In Nikki Giovanni’s poem called “Nikki Rosa” she describes her childhood. In the first four stanzas she sates “Childhood remembrances are, always a drag if you're Black, you always remember things like, living in Woodlawn with no inside toilet”. She was explaining how rough it was growing up as a child in Woodlawn. Throughout the poem she is giving references and statements about growing up poor and struggling. She
recognizes that even though people seemed as though they were poor, they are actually rich in memories and love. She refers to memories and love as “Black Wealth “. In the Nikki Giovanni’s poem called “Quilt” she is talking about how a quilt warms and comforts anybody. The quilt refers to something that comforts both the old and young when they are feeling down and when they are feeling cold.
Nikki Giovanni poems were written about the African American community but they can be enjoyed by other ethnicities. Her poems also can apply to the lives of youth as well as the elderly. Her poems can uplift and also be humbling. Fifty years later Nikki Giovanni is still changing lives with the power of the pen.