Exploring Next-Generation Education: A Conversation with NC Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green

As educators are confronted with the pandemic and renewed focus on racial injustices, we are being called on to think differently about how we serve students. Can we use this crisis context to think futuristically about how to meet the needs of each learner? Dr. Hiller Spires’ interview with North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green will feature the story of the creation of Green’s soulful poem “Oh My Brother” and the accompanying multimedia presentation related to the murder of George Floyd and our country’s ongoing racial injustice. Additionally, Green will discuss the current moment in our history and its implications for children and our educational system.Jaki Shelton Green is the first African American and third woman to be appointed as the North Carolina Poet Laureate. When he appointed her in 2018, Governor Cooper stated that, “Jaki Shelton Green brings a deep appreciation of our state’s diverse communities to her role as an ambassador of North Carolina literature. Jaki’s appointment is a wonderful new chapter in North Carolina’s rich literary history.”