North Carolina Poet Laureate To Headline Discussion on Reclaiming Peace 

EAST GREENSBORO (Nov. 18, 2020) - The Department of English at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will host a virtual program, “Claiming/Reclaiming Peace” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18. The discussion will feature Jaki Shelton Green, The North Carolina Poet Laureate; CJ Suitt, Chapel Hill Poet Laureate; and Ta’Mia King, Aggie Poet Laureate. The program will be an evening of conversation centered on intergenerational perspectives on social justice and creative arts. 

The virtual program follows a Master Class conducted by Jaki Shelton Green for English Majors from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m, titled, “The Poet Witnesses: Writing Documentary Poetry with Jaki Shelton Green.” The workshop focuses on the idea of the poet as historian and researcher, examining real life, historical events, and the relationship between history, documentary and poetry.  

Green, the ninth Poet Laureate of North Carolina, is the first African American and third woman to be appointed as the North Carolina Poet Laureate. She is a 2019 Academy of American Poet Laureate Fellow, 2014 NC Literary Hall of Fame Inductee, 2009 NC Piedmont Laureate appointment, 2003 recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. Green teaches Documentary Poetry at Duke University Center for Documentary Studies and has been named the 2021 Frank B. Hanes Writer in Residence at UNC Chapel Hill. Her publications include: “Dead on Arrival,” “Masks,” “Dead on Arrival and New Poems,” “Conjure Blues,” “singing a tree into dance,” “breath of the song,” “Feeding the Light,” and “i want to undie you.” On Juneteenth 2020, she released her first LP, poetry album, “The River Speaks of Thirst,” produced by Soul City Sounds and Clearly Records.  

Suitt is a performance poet, arts educator, and community organizer from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, whose work is rooted in storytelling and social justice. Suitt co-directed, produced, and starred in a historical reenactment of the 1947 Freedom Rides, performed at many national and local music festivals, including Gnarnia, Shakori Hills and Bonnaroo, and acted in a production of "Hands Up: 6 Playwrights, 6 Testaments." Additionally, he has collaborated with organizations such as Transplanting Traditions, Benevolence Farm, and Growing Change on the intersection of storytelling and food justice. Suitt most recently appointed as the first Poet Laureate of Chapel Hill.  

 Ta’Mia King is a senior double major in speech pathology and English with a concentration in creative writing. She currently serves as the North Carolina A&T State University Aggie Poet Laureate. She was selected after a rigorous competition with numerous applicants. She is originally from Goldsboro, North Carolina. 

 Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wR0Aie6WRBieLrGE_9b4pA 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.