SHAKIRU BOLA OKOYA/NJPAC
Nikki Giovanni, shown performing at NJPAC in 2022.
Poetry is an inspiring and accessible catalyst for social change. All that is needed is a pen, paper, an eye that sees injustice and an empathic heart that cares about inequality.
The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and Newark’s New Jersey Performing Arts Center, believing that poetry advances social change, have organized poetry events and programs emphasizing social justice throughout 2024 in various Newark locations. This novel year-long initiative will culminate in the 20th edition of the biennial Dodge Poetry Festival, which will take place primarily at NJPAC, Oct. 17-19, and feature artists such as Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, Joan Baez, Claudia Rankine, Tyehimba Jess and Mahogany L. Browne.
Festival tickets will go on sale on July 19. For information, visit njpac.org/dodgepoetry.
Committed to engaging with poets from underrepresented communities, including BIPOC and LGBTQ+ poets and poets with disabilities, Dodge Foundation, according to its press release, embraces “poetry in all its forms and make deep connections with community partners to ensure poetry is accessible to all.”
Newark’s Mayor Ras J. Baraka, who is also a poet, said at the partnership launch of NJPAC and The Dodge Foundation that “The Dodge Poetry Fest coming together in Newark, all of us talking about equity and social change in this room, means we’ve made a few steps in the right direction … When we write our poems, we can diminish what is ugly and raise up what is beautiful.” Baraka is the son of Newark poet, playwright and activist Amiri Baraka.
Summer events will include the Nuyorican Poets Café, hosted by the organization’s executive director Caridad De La Luz and featuring poets Edwin Torres, Emanuel Xavier and Lois Griffith, July 20 at 7 p.m. at NJPAC’s Chase Room. The 2024 Nuyorican Slam Team will lead a slam showcase in the second part of the event, closing with an open mic led by the Newark-based spoken word organization EvoluCulture.
NJPAC’s free, outdoor Sounds of the City series will offer readings by Roberto Carlos Garcia (July 18), Cynthia Manick (July 25), Patrick Rosal (Aug. 1) and Mariah Ayscue (Aug. 8) in addition to musical performances by other artists.
Beginning in mid-August, the Dodge Poetry in the Community program, a partnership with Rutgers University-Newark’s creative writing MFA program, will organize poetry workshops for teens at Newark Public Library, MENTORNewark events, Centers for Hope and other locations. Some of the poets will be offered an opportunity to read their work at the October festival.
On Oct. 6, Meshell Ndegeocello will present words and music from her latest album No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin at NJPAC’s Victoria Theater. The event is described in a press release as “part church service, part testimonial and part call to action — a genre-bending, multimedia invitation to reflect, revolutionize and transform.”
The Dodge Poetry Festival, which has been hosted by NJPAC since 2010, will fill downtown Newark with offerings, including spoken word poetry mixed with jazz, hip-hop and R&B at readings, performances, outdoor events and more.
On Oct. 17, the festival’s opening day, programs on artistic and professional development will be emphasized, and EvoluCulture will host a free open mic and mixer in NICO Kitchen + Bar, the restaurant in NJPAC’s building.
On Oct. 18, the festival will host “Young Artists Day,” which will introduce thousands of teens to acclaimed poets.
On Oct. 19, ticketed events will include a discussion with Joan Baez about her recently published first book of poetry, “When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance”; and a performance by poet Nikki Giovanni with tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson and bassist Christian McBride. This day also will include an afternoon, family-friendly Poetry Fair in Newark’s Military Park with readings as well as face painting, music, drag performances, food trucks and more.
The Dodge Poetry Festival is the largest poetry event in North America, and has welcomed more than 150,000 people over the past 40 years.
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