Raina J. León, a Black, Afro Boricuan poet and writer raised in Southwest Philadelphia, has been named the city’s new poet laureate, writes Michelle Myers for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
León, 44, won out on the role among 32 different applicants, representing the largest number of candidates Philadelphia has ever had for it.
She is a big advocate for diversity and how it can strengthen communities.
Given her background — and the fact that she speaks English, Spanish, and Italian — León aims to create a space where people can feel their voices are welcome.
The poet laureate serves as an ambassador for poetry.
“Poetry is all around you. Even if you are like, ‘I don’t understand poetry’ — it understands you,” León said. “In these times of great volatility, with attacks on history and attacks on communities, there is a desire to preserve oneself by becoming numb, and poetry says, ‘No, you can’t be numb in life. You can’t be numb and observe the world.’”
In the role, León wants to help Philadelphians see storytelling as a liberating practice and provide language access to help amplify Philadelphia’s diverse community of voices.
Read more about Rain J. León and her vision as Philadelphia’s newest poet laureate in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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