On May 17, 2021, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced that he would reappoint poet, teacher, and community advocate Jaki Shelton Green as North Carolina’s poet laureate.
“Jaki Shelton Green has a remarkable ability to connect with people from all walks of life through the literary arts,” Governor Cooper said. “I’m proud to reappoint Jaki and look forward to seeing her in this role inspire more young poets and artists.”
Green was first appointed North Carolina Poet Laureate in 2018 and is the first African American, and the third woman, to serve as the state’s ambassador for poetry and the spoken word.
Green has conducted hundreds of public poetry workshops, lectures, and readings across North Carolina. In 2019 the American Academy of Poet Laureates awarded Green a $75,000 fellowship in recognition of her literary merit and public service. She used the award to launch “Literary ChangeMakers,” an initiative that supports youth poets engaged artistically in civic and community activism, social justice and youth leadership across the state.
“Jaki Shelton Green has used her platform as poet laureate to champion North Carolina’s rich literary traditions in communities across the state,” said D. Reid Wilson, secretary, NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “Her emphasis on working with diverse writers and youth has been especially profound and meaningful.”
Born and raised in Efland, North Carolina, Green has been active in our state’s literary and teaching community for more than 40 years. She’s written eight books of poetry and a play, co-edited two anthologies of poetry, and has been published in over 80 national and international anthologies.
Over the course of her career, Green has taught poetry and creative writing at public libraries, universities, community colleges, K-12 schools and community nonprofits across the United States. She currently teaches Documentary Poetry at Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies and has been named the 2021 Frank B. Hanes Writer in Residence at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
“When I was appointed the NC Poet Laureate Juneteenth 2018, I dedicated myself to fulfilling the mission to promote and expand appreciation of the literary arts. My reappointment is a tremendous honor and will support my work plans across the state that were compromised by Covid-19,” said Green.
“I will continue to work with community-based organizations focused on the intersection of literature, cultural activism, advocacy, and transformation. New audience development, new delivery platforms, and new ways of increasing community engagement are at the core of my Laureateship.”
As a community arts advocate, Green has created and facilitated programs that serve diverse audiences across the state, including the incarcerated, homeless, chronically and mentally ill, victims of domestic violence and immigrants. Throughout the pandemic, she has focused on teaching, facilitating workshops, collaborating with other artists, curating special programs, and keynoting conferences virtually.
“During her tenure as NC Poet Laureate, Jaki Shelton Green has championed poetry’s potential to empower, build bridges, and heal,” said Wayne Martin, executive director of the NC Arts Council. “The Poet Laureate is a symbol of our literary community’s contributions to North Carolina and our nation, and the integrity and vision Jaki brings to her role honor our state’s literary heritage.”
Green’s awards include a 2020 Shaw University Ella Baker Women Who Lead Award, a 2019 NC Humanities Council Caldwell Award, and a 2003 North Carolina Award for Literature. She was inducted into the NC Literary Hall of fame in 2014 and named the inaugural NC Piedmont Laureate in 2009.
Last year Green released her first-ever spoken word poetry album: The River Speaks of Thirst. The Justice Theater Project presented a multimedia film adaptation of the album following its release. Recently, an Italian publisher released a bilingual edition of her book length poem “I Want to Undie You.” North Carolina-based Soul City Sounds will release an audio recording of the poem next month.
The North Carolina Arts Council builds on our state’s longstanding love of the arts, leading the way to a more vibrant future. The Arts Council is an economic catalyst, fueling a thriving nonprofit creative sector that generates $2.12 billion in annual direct economic activity. The Arts Council also sustains diverse arts expression and traditions while investing in innovative approaches to art making. The North Carolina Arts Council has proven to be a champion for youth by cultivating tomorrow’s creative citizens through arts education. Learn more at www.NCArts.org.
Source: Dory MacMillan, NC Governor’s Press Office
