The Impact

The Office of the Poet Laureate orchestrates a diverse array of literary and cultural initiatives, fostering dynamic dialogues through programs, forums, and engaging conversations. These events feature poets, spoken word artists, and artisans spanning various disciplines, inviting the community to participate in rich and extended discussions.

Through a blend of live and virtual interactive sessions, our programming cultivates connections across generations, offering both artists and residents avenues for cultural exploration and bridge-building opportunities. Join us in nurturing artistic growth and enhancing the quality of life for all Prince George’s County residents.

Meet Our Poet Laureates

Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Ed.D
Poet Laureate

Saniya Pearson
Youth Poet Laureate

Prince George’s County Poet Laureate - Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Ed.D

Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D., is the second poet laureate of Prince George's County, Maryland. She is a multidisciplinary artist who not only writes plays, poems, and films, but also performs as a singer, actor, and visual artist. Her work has been featured at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Capital Fringe Fest, Anacostia Playhouse, STABLE Arts Gallery, Artscape, and more. She was a Scholar-in-Residence at the Prince George's County African American Museum from 2019-2020, a Theater Alliance Quadrant Playwright from 2019-2021, a 2019 Fulbright-Hays scholar, and a recipient of a 2015 Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artist award. She is currently a Watering Hole poetry fellow.

Dr. Ali-Coleman is author of the poetry collections For the Girls Who Do Too Much (2024) and The Summoning of Black Joy (2023), the children’s book Mariah’s Maracas and co-editor of the book Homeschooling Black Children in the US: Theory, Practice and Popular Culture. Her work is featured in multiple publications, including Clarion, The Skinny Journal, two volumes of the book anthology The Fire Inside: Collected Stories and Poems from Zora’s Den, and Afro-Futurism in Black Panther: Gender, Identity and the Remaking of Blackness (Rowan & Littlefield, 2021). Dr. Ali-Coleman is founder and artistic director of the performance group Liberated Muse, founder of the 501(c)3 nonprofit Black Writers for Peace & Social Justice, Inc. and currently an Associate Professor in the Humanities department at Coppin State University. For the past decade, she has presented over 100 public presentations and/or performances in the areas of literature, theater, education, music, and social justice. She holds a doctorate in education from Morgan State University, a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from Towson University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Writing from UMBC.

Prince George’s County Youth Poet Laureate - Saniya Pearson

Saniya (Poetry S.A.P.) Pearson is the 2024 Prince George’s County Youth Poet Laureate and a 16-year-old student in Central High's International Baccalaureate program. Throughout these past few years, she has apprenticed at Words, Beats, and Life (WBL) non-profit arts organization, performing everywhere from the University of Wisconsin's Passing the Mic Public Showcase, to the Kennedy Center for the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" album, to San Francisco as part of the DMV Slam Team to compete in the Brave New Voices International Poetry Festival. Most recently, Saniya had the pleasure of delivering a socially conscious piece at the Inaugural Legislative Day for the Prince George's County executive administration, school board, civic leaders, and elected officials. Saniya has a passion for advocacy on climate change, economic equality, mental health, legal justice equity, and reform.

The Prince George's County Youth Poet Laureate Program is a joint venture of Urban Word of NYC, DIALECT of Prince George’s, and Lyrikal Storm, with support from the Prince George’s Arts & Humanities Council, M-NCPPC Department of Parks & Recreation, the Prince George’s County Office of Community Relations, and generous support from county residents.