Newark Comes Alive with the Rhythm of Words at Dodge Poetry Festival

Poets and poetry lovers flocked to downtown Newark from October 17th to October 19th for the Dodge Poetry Festival, a 20th-edition biennial event bringing together 4500 students and 2000 teachers from the tri-state area for Young Artist Day. 

The three-day celebration of written and spoken word kicked off on Thursday, October 17th, with about seven poetry reading sites stationed throughout NJPAC, all co-occurring.

Afterward, an evening of open mic and a networking mixer for 200 attendees occurred at Nico Kitchen & Bar, sponsored by the local poetry collective Evoluculture.

Founder and CEO of Evoluculture Ventures, and festival poet, Sean Battle, also sat on the festival advisory committee. After performing on his last stage for the festival, Battle said he was elated by how much good was done with the festival. “I’m just so happy to see so much of Newark on these festival stages,” said Battle. Following opening day was Young Artist Day on Friday, October 18th.

Over 60 poets presented spoken word artistry and conducted masterclasses on various topics throughout the 3-day festival. In one workshop, New Jersey actress, poet, and playwright Dr. Helena D. Lewis said her inspiration to write comes from the stories told by her elderly father and her work as a social worker. In another, powerful poet Nikki Herd took over the room in a documentary-like poem about the auctioning of the filming equipment used to film Rodney King’s police beating in Los Angeles in 1991, weaving a powerful story of race and oppression. 

Some other notable performers included nationally acclaimed Nikki Giovanni, Christian McBride, and Javon Jackson, with a special spoken word spectacular on Saturday evening that featured legendary rap artists Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, and Rakim. Newark mayor and son of the late great New Jersey Poet Laureate, Amiri Baraka, also hit the mic on Saturday evening. “This was great for Newark, where the mayor is our poet,” said Battle.

On Saturday, during the day, Dodge took to the streets, to Military Park, across the street from NJPAC. Local poets used their voices to magnify social issues from the park on the Community Catalyst Stage.

Poet and educator Wileena Booker came more than 90 miles from Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, to feed a passion for poetry that was born in the pandemic. She explained that in 2020, she attended Dodge Poetry Festival’s virtual workshop and read poetry for the first time. “Since then, I’ve been reading, writing, sharing, all the things,” she said. “I have written over 200 poems. So today felt so good to finally just brave my fears.” Booker now runs a student poetry club at her school. 

The Dodge Poetry Festival estimates 150,000 people attended the country’s largest poetry festival this year. Established in 1974, The Dodge Foundation envisions a just and equitable New Jersey where all communities have equal access and opportunities to thrive. To this end, the foundation has distributed more than $500 million in grants and technical support to New Jersey nonprofits.