Last week I attended a historic poetry slam at the Nuyorican Poets Café on East Third Street which determined the first ever Youth Poet Laureate of New York. Our first Youth Poet Laureate is Zora Howard, a senior at LaGuardia High School. As laureate, she will travel around the city performing poetry and encouraging civil engagement in her fellow youth.
The crowd was warm and enthusiastic. There were 12 finalists and about 50 audience members, mostly young people. The audience was very passionate about the performances, snapping and "mmm"ing and encouraging the poets if they stumbled or forgot a line. Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott was also there, giving the event an air of political importance. Each contestant performed one three-minute poem on a subject of their choice, and then a one-minute piece related to voting or civic engagement.
The slam was co-organized by Urban Word NYC and the New York City Voter Assistance Commission. The idea behind the slam and the new position of Youth Poet Laureate is to try and engage youth in their communities and the democratic process of our country. The poets were judged not only on their poetry but also by their history of community and democratic involvement.
"Engaging our younger New Yorkers civically and encouraging their active participation in our democratic process is critical to the vitality of our city," said Onida Coward Mayers, executive director of the Voter Assistance Commission. "Launching programs such as the Youth Voter Poet Slam allows VAC to engage young people around our city in the democratic process."
Involving youth in politics through the arts is a great idea. I have gone to Urban Word NYC slams and workshops, and I know that the work they do is powerful and invaluable. I applaud the mayor and the city for recognizing the significance of their work and the ways in which it can be used to encourage civic engagement in youth. I believe that Zora, as a passionate teenager herself, can have great success in encouraging youth civic involvement. More opportunities should be given for youth to both speak out and encourage the same in their peers.
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