Celebration of Illinois Poet Laureate Angela Jackson

I was in awe the first time I heard Angela Jackson read her poetry in 2019 as part of a stellar panel of poets who are contributors to the compilation, Of Poetry & Protest: From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin. She became the fifth Illinois Poet Laureate in 2020, following in the footsteps of the legendary Gwendolyn Brooks.

Angela Jackson received her much-deserved flowers this past weekend during a celebration of her written works presented by the Chicago Humanities Festival. The hosts for the festivities were poets Parneshia Jones and Avery R. Young, who never disappoints with his unique, eclectic soulful style of dress and poetry set to music.

Poet Tiff Beatty started with a reading of Jackson’s poem “Empty Parlor Blues,” an interesting take on cleverly setting a trap to catch one’s prey. Other poets who read Jackson’s work include RL Watson, Tara Betts, and Onyx Appleberry. The final presenting poet, Krista Franklin, thanked Jackson “for her unyielding dedication to the craft of poetry and her deep and unabiding love of us.”

Dr. Haki Madhubuti presented a gift that included encased commemorative stamps of Black poets before reading his newly written poem in recognition of Jackson’s special honor. Dr. Madhubuti, the founder of Third World Press, has known her for over 50 years and considers her family. He published Jackson’s first book, Voodoo Love Magic, in 1974.

“It’s long overdue,” said Parneshia Jones, who credits Jackson’s poetry for saving her life. “I want you and all the young Black women that come after you to get their flowers now, not later.” When Jones asked what it means to be the Illinois Poet Laureate, Jackson stated, “It’s a lot of work to represent the people of Illinois and poetry at the same time.” She strives to get people excited about sharing, reading, and creating poetry in her role.

In the middle of reading from her newest book, More Than Meat and Raiment, Jackson proclaimed, “There is nothing like being loved when you are a child and knowing that you are loved. It carries over into adulthood and saves you a lot of trouble.”

Angela Jackson is an accomplished poet, novelist, and playwright whose repertoire includes the award-winning novel Where I Must Go and the National Book Award-nominated And All These Roads Be Luminous: Poems Selected and New. You can find more information on her works at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/angela-jackson or https://www.ilhumanities.org/poet-laureate-angela-jackson