Nikki Giovanni is a poet known for writing about social issues, racial pride, and respect for family. Her first volumes, Black Feeling, Black Talk and Black Judgement, were written in response to the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and Robert Kennedy. Her twenty-one collections include The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, as well as eleven works for children. Giovanni has won numerous awards, including seven from the NAACP, and has received more than twenty honorary degrees.