In honor of National Poetry Month in April, we invite you to join us for an afternoon to celebrate poetry. Notable poets such as Walt Whitman, Marianne Moore, Denise Bell, and Richard Wright drew inspiration from Fort Greene Park. Come be inspired by the deep connection the park has to poetry & writing!

Poetry in the Park is an opportunity to participate in a poetry workshop led by Najee Omar, be part of a supportive and welcoming environment during our Open Mic session, and enjoy poetry performances by Sean Slaughter, Roya Marsh, and Kearah-Armonie.

Doors open at 11:30am at the Eastern Wing of the Monument Plaza (map below). Najee Omar, MC and Workshop Leader, will begin the festivities with the Here Comes the Sun: A Poetry Workshop by Najee Omar from 12:00 to 1:30pm. Space is limited for the workshop, and RSVP is strongly encouraged.

After the workshop, we invite all literary lovers to stay for the open mic starting at 1:45pm with special poetry performances Kearah-Armonie, Roya Marsh, and Sean Slaughter.

There will also be an opportunity to create Blackout Poetry with Brooklyn Public Library. Brooklyn Book Bodega will lead a Book Giveaway for families and literary lovers.

Here Comes the Sun: A Poetry Workshop by Najee Omar

Spring is here, bringing warmth, renewal, and the perfect moment to create. Here Comes the Sun is an outdoor poetry workshop led by award-winning poet, playwright, and educator Najee Omar, designed to help you embrace change, joy, and transformation through writing. We’ll gather in the park, pulling inspiration from the world around us... the sun on our skin, the rustling trees, the feeling of something new beginning. Through poetry, discussion, and creative prompts, we’ll explore what it means to step into our own “spring” moments, times of growth, possibility, and becoming.

Together, we will:
- Look at poetry and nature as creative fuel

-Write in response to what we see, feel, and experience

- Share (if inspired) and connect with new friends

Open to all, this workshop is about slowing down, finding joy, and letting your words bloom.

About the Poets

Najee Omar

Najee Omar is black, queer, and making magic somewhere in Brooklyn. A multidisciplinary poet, rapper, and educator, Najee’s art cultivates spaces of healing and community building. Named a New York Times ‘2018 Visionary’ for his passion for youth activism, Najee is the Founder, Executive Director of Spark House: an arts education organization that champions black and brown teen voices by bringing poetry and performance programs to New York City public schools. Najee was commissioned by The Shed to co-develop DIS OBEY: a space for New York City youth to explore creative action through writing, story telling, and visual arts. In 2020, his commitment to art and home led him to become the Founding Curator for The Neighborhood Project: an initiative designed to propel emerging black artists further in their careers with the support of their neighbors.

Sean Slaughter

Sean Slaughter, is a poet, and graphic designer from Brooklyn NY. Sean’s poetic journey began with a passion for lyricism, seamlessly evolving from crafting raps to performing spoken word around the world. He holds a BFA from Otis College of Art & Design. As a professional artist, Sean has published three bodies of literary work,  became a national poetry-slam champion of Brave New Voices International Poetry Festival, and has been featured on HBO, MTV, and Time Warner Cable. As an educator, Sean has led creative workshops in juvenile detention centers throughout Los Angeles to orphanages in Malawi, East Africa. Today Sean is the founder of SEEK + SAINT, a creative agency that highlights faith based arts. Sean Slaughter’s creative inspiration is rooted in the gospel, social justice, and the woes of daily life.

Roya Marsh

Bronx, New York native, Roya Marsh is a poet, performer, educator and activist. She is the author of dayliGht, a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Lesbian Poetry and SAVINGS TIME (MCDXFSG). Roya works feverishly toward Queer liberation and dismantling white supremacy. She is the co-founder of the Bronx Poet Laureate, a PEN America Emerging Voices Mentor, Lambda Literary faculty and the awardee of the Lotos Foundation Prize for Poetry and 2024 Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Grant from Bronx Council on the Arts.

Roya’s work has been featured widely including, The Academy of American Poets, Poetry Magazine, Electric Literature, the Village Voice, Nylon Magazine, Huffington Post, The Root, Button Poetry, BAM, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Apollo Theater, Lexus Verses and Flow, On One with Angela Rye, BET and The BreakBeat Poets Vol 2: Black Girl Magic(Haymarket 2018).

Kearah-Armonie

Kearah-Armonie(aka Kearmonie) is an Afro-Caribbean Multidisciplinary artist specializing in Filmmaking, Poetry/Spoken Word, and Education. Having begun their journey as a spoken word poet and writer in 2011 Kearah-Armonie is now a mentor and teaching artist. They have performed in spaces/at events such as The New York City Poetry Festival, The People’s Forum, such as Bowery Poetry Club, New York Live Arts, Harlem Stage, The Nuyorican Poets Café, Busboys and Poets. Their poetry can be found in Genre: Urban Arts, No Dear Magazine, Black Minds Mag, and Great Weather for Media’s anthology “The Other Side of Violet”.