Join us for The Poets for Justice Poetry Slam, one of several events organized by the Lehigh Libraries in celebration of National Poetry Month.

The Poets for Justice are a collective of local artists, including poets and singers, who are "dedicated to encouraging hope and inspiration by uniting creative voices of those who believe in justice and racial equality." Artists from the local community will perform works related to racial and social justice.

Directed, conceived, and hosted by Easton native Zena Goodwin, The Poets for Justice Poetry Slam is set for Saturday, Apr. 17 at 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks in Bethlehem. It will also be livestreamed via Zoom. Rain date: Apr. 21, time TBD.

For more information about the in-person event and to register, visit the SteelStacks event page. For the livestream, register here.

Goodwin, a graduate of Messiah University, directed the first Poets for Justice Poetry Slam last August. “I believe there are few better ways to say ‘Black Lives Matter’ than through the creative and powerful voices of poets, rap, hip hop and spoken word artists,” says Goodwin. “I wanted to put a creative spin on the peaceful protests we all witnessed after the public execution of the late George Floyd last year and unite local artists, giving them a platform to peacefully and passionately speak out against racial injustice while collectively demanding positive change.”

There will also be a post-performance talkback/question-and-answer session with all the performers that both the live audience and those watching via the livestream will be able to participate in.

Performers for The Poets for Justice Poetry Slam include: Nasheera Brown, Chloe Cole-Wilson, Ehfar, Devin L. Gray, Juanita-Renay Gray, Kari Holmes, Connie Lee-Blackshear, Zena Goodwin, Corey Riotz, Zamarrie Rose, and Cyrus Thompson.

This edition of The Poets for Justice Poetry Slam is being presented in partnership with ArtsQuest and sponsored by The Friends of the Lehigh University Libraries.
                                         
"The Friends of the Lehigh Libraries are pleased to support diverse artistic voices through spoken word events like Poets for Justice," said Boaz Nadav-Manes, University Librarian at Lehigh. "It's a special opportunity to connect Lehigh's campus and the surrounding communities through the arts and expressive activities."