I had a list of three women I wanted to see in person before they or I perished from this earth. In January 2011 I saw Erykah Badu. In January 2012 I saw Yolanda Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni. A pattern? If I see Angela Davis in January 2013, we can say it is! Seeing a favorite celebrity is a great start to a new year. For me, it set the tone for how I will approach my work and myself.

Sitting in the sage green seats in the elegant Manship Theatre last Wednesday, surrounded by Nikki Giovanni fans, many things went through my head and heart. I clearly remember thinking, I’m going to blog about this.

In planning my content for S. L. Writes, I realized Nikki Giovanni is a perfect icon for the month of February because she is a single mother famously known for her poems about love and black culture.

You may understand why I connect themes of love and black culture to the month of February, but if you haven’t been reading my blog, you should know that I’m in the midst of a series titled, “Letters to a Single Parent.” While I’m inclined to believe that the previous sentence is enough to prove my thesis, I will soon elaborate because the topic is just too fun to be done.

In the meantime, here’s Nikki in her own words.

Peace and Love,

Sarah L. Webb