“Poetry as resistance” is a workshop that examines poems of protest, justice, power, and liberation by revolutionary Black women. Such works include that of Audre Lorde, Patricia Smith, Gwendolyn Brooks, aja monet, Yolanda Wisher, Ursula Rucker, Sonia Sanchez, and countless others. This Thursday we honor June Jordan, with a focus on her poems “I Must Become a Menace to My Enemies” and “Poem About My Rights.” The workshop includes an analysis of her work and life, political discourse and guided writing prompts, and an invitation to share individual work that reflects those themes of resistance. With a commitment to upholding Black radical tradition, this space is inherently revolutionary.

Saskia Kercy is a multidisciplinary scholar and poet from Philadelphia by way of Haiti. She has two bachelors in economics and global studies from Temple University and a masters in economics from Howard University. Saskia currently serves as a research consultant, educator, organizer, spoken word performer, and eldest daughter in her community. Her work has been published in The Amistad, for which she received the 2022 May Miller Creative Writing Award, The Washington Informer, and The Root, among others. She recently concluded a poetry residency as an Anaphora Literary Arts Fellow and is the curator of the elusive Sunset Saloon. In her free time, Saskia is a blossoming artist, yogi, and marathoner. She is @saskiakercy everywhere.