Using blank verse, Grace Ruo crafted a short poem designed for performance in poetry slams. In this gripping piece, she likens the tragic means by which Emmett Till achieved immortality with Jesus Christ. This work demonstrates the continued relevance of Mamie Till-Mobley’s decision to show the world what white racists did to her son on…
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Two Saint Louis Youth Poets Laureate will be featured on St. Louis On the Air, a daily live broadcast on St. Louis Public Radio at noon on Monday, January 25, 2021. Last year’s St. Louis Youth Poet Laureate, Sarah Abbas, and the current laureate, Grace Ruo, will discuss how their poems speak to the issues…
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A few weeks back, we sent the new St. Louis Youth Poet Laureate a few questions to answer about her laureateship. Grace replied with the thoughtful answers below. It was so telling that I wanted to share them more broadly. What does being the 2021 Saint Louis Youth Poet Laureate mean to you? Being the…
Continue ReadingJoin us for our 7th annual youth poetry event King Me featuring the 2021 St. Louis Youth Poet Laureate Grace Ruo This event is free and open to the public but guests are required to wear masks. Check out the virtual event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/136518040133 Check out the live event in person : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/136518613849
Continue Reading(ST. LOUIS Monday, January 11, 2021) — The 2021 St. Louis Youth Poet Laureate is Grace Ruo, a 17-year-old native Kenyan and Hazelwood West High School senior. UrbArts will host an induction ceremony online and in person on January 18th to commemorate the federal holiday and observed birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr at 1:00…
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Sarah Abbas and her Marquette High School teammates, Ella Woods and Megha Sanjay, swept the VerbQuake 2019 Youth Poetry Slam finals winning the team and individual championships in March. Known as Beauty & the Beats within the St. Louis Youth Poetry Slam community, much of their fiery content revealed careful consideration of social identity as…
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