By Tabassam Shah, Member, Poets Against Racism & Hate USA(updated June 11, 2025) “Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” —Mary Oliver1 “…poetry is a force for community light, community resilience, and community health.” —Tess Taylor (Poet Laureate Fellow, Academy of American Poets)2 In her February blog post, Debbie Allen,

By Debbie Allen, Cofounder, Poets Against Racism & Hate USA The flow of hate-derived, hate-fermenting commotion spewing from the White House during this onset of Donald Trump’s second presidency is having its intended effect. Many are stunned, speechless and paralyzed, wondering what to do in response. As poets, we know what to do. Write. Write

By Debbie Allen and Patricia Thrushart, Founders, Poets Against Racism & Hate USA Every January, we at Poets Against Racism & Hate USA take time to step back and contemplate the year that has passed. We’ve learned that the busy pace of our lives, the firehose of news pertaining to racism, hate, and bigotry, and