Acclaimed poet and literary force Nikki Giovanni, who was at the forefront of the Black Arts Movement, and known across the world for her defiant yet endearing prose about race, gender, sex and love has died.

A key figure of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and ’70s, the poet and activist is celebrated for her illuminating works touching on race, gender, and politics.

Nikki Giovanni — a renowned, award-winning poet and a leading voice in the 1960s Black Arts Movement — died in Blacksburg on Monday from lung cancer. She was 81. The works of the retired Virginia Tech professor of 35 years focused on race, gender, politics, joy and love.