Past, Present, Future: America 250 Community Poetry Workshop

June 25, 2026 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Chapel Hill Public Library

Learn More

THURSDAY JUNE 25, 2026 | 6 PM – 7:30 PM
Chapel Hill Public Library, Room B

 

Join Chapel Hill Poet Laureate Donovan Livingston and CHCCS District Poet Laureate Owen Russell to construct a community poem reflecting on the United States of America on its 250th birthday!

Participants will write together in small groups, rotating through different stations, responding to prompts about America’s past, present, and future. Each station will form a different stanza of the poem.

We will edit, revise, and recite our finished piece together at the end of the workshop, and publish the official text on the Chapel Hill Poet Laureate webpage.

 

Dr. Donovan Livingston (he/him)

Livingston is the current Chapel Hill Poet Laureate (2025-2026). He’s an award-winning educator, spoken word poet, and public speaker whose words have inspired millions. With a passion for empowering young minds and communities, Livingston believes every child has the right to “lift off” and achieve their dreams. He serves as Teaching Assistant Professor of Music and Director of College Thriving at UNC Chapel Hill. His work uses culture, hip-hop, and spoken word poetry to ignite change and foster student success.

WEBSITE         INSTAGRAM

Chapel Hill Poet Laureate Program