Giovanni read her poems about love, nostalgia and race to audiences around the world, but she never stopped loving.

On her visits back to her hometown, Giovanni would stop at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center to look through the archival room at her family's history. Last year, she sent almost 50 boxes of her treasured items to be featured in a permanent exhibit.

You know Nikki Giovanni's poems and the power of her words. Here are some facts you might not know about the poet and author who died at age 81.