April 27 Wednesday Night Live - Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green at the Gantt

In celebration of National Poetry Month and for the upcoming Wednesday Night Live, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture is excited to present Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green.

Green is the first African American and third female Poet Laureate of North Carolina and will perform select poignant poetry that resonates in the soul. She will also provide invaluable tips for fellow poets and aspiring writers.

Dynamic media personality, Ohavia Phillips, will interview Green for this inspirational affair. The audience will be in for a special treat with a Q&A session and talkback for the rare opportunity to engage in an intimate conversation with this legendary poet.

“We are thrilled to present Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green for this month’s Wednesday Night Live. Her works are stirring and awe-inspiring – the audience will experience a night of edification and inspiration.,” said President & CEO David R. Taylor.

About the Artist

Jaki Shelton Green is the ninth Poet Laureate of North Carolina and reappointed in 2021 for a second term by Governor Roy Cooper. She has received multiple awards and recognition including Academy of American Poet Laureate Fellow, North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame Inductee, North Carolina Piedmont Laureate, and North Carolina Award for Literature.

Green teaches Documentary Poetry at Duke University Center for Documentary Studies and was also the Frank B. Hanes Writer-in-Residence at UNC Chapel Hill in 2021.

This year, Green was appointed Poet Laureate-in-Residence at the North Carolina Museum of Art. She is the owner of SistaWRITE, which provides writing retreats for women writers in serene locations nationally and abroad.

Listen to some of her stirring works on albums The River Speaks of Thirst and I Want to Undie You.

About the Host

Ohavia Philips is an electrifying media personality, communications professional, content creator, host of the popular The Oh Show, and a newly launched podcast Beautiful People with Ohavia Phillips. A talented interviewer, she crafts important conversations while creating safe spaces.

About Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture

The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture is a multi-disciplinary arts institution located in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1974, the Gantt Center’s mission is to present, preserve and celebrate excellence in the art, history and culture of African-Americans and those of African descent through visual and literary arts, dance music, film, educational programs, theatre productions and community outreach. The Gantt Center features fine art exhibitions from around the world and is home to the nationally celebrated John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art, which was generously donated by Bank of America, and is accessible online.

Named for Charlotte civic leader and former mayor Harvey Bernard Gantt, the Gantt Center is housed in an iconic, award-winning structure designed by architect Philip Freelon, co-designer of the Smithsonian National Museum for African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).

Contact
Ingrid Travis James
ingrid@ganttcenter.org
(704) 547-3764

Posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2022

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