CJ SUITT (poet laureate of Chapel Hill, NC)
CJ Suitt (he,him/they,them) is a performance poet, arts educator, and community organizer from Chapel Hill, NC, whose work is rooted in storytelling and social justice. CJ co-directed, produced, and starred in a historical reenactment of the 1947 Freedom Rides, performed at many national and local music festivals, including Gnarnia, Shakori Hills and Bonnaroo, and acted in a production of Hands Up: 6 Playwrights, 6 Testaments. His career as an educator has allowed him to work with young people awaiting trial at the Durham Youth Home, older inmates whose voices have been silenced within the Orange County Correctional Facility, and high school and college-aged men pushing to redefine masculinity in their schools and communities. Additionally, he has collaborated with organizations such as Transplanting Traditions, Benevolence Farm, and Growing Change on the intersection of storytelling and food justice. CJ most recently appointed as the first Poet Laureate of Chapel Hill. He is committed to speaking truth to power and aims to be a bridge for communities who can’t always see themselves in each other.
ANGELO GETER (poet laureate of Rock Hill, SC)
Angelo Geter received a BA in Political Science from Winthrop University and a MS in Higher Education from Drexel University. He is a poet and performance artist also known in the spoken word world as “EyeAmBic.” He currently serves as the Poet Laureate of Rock Hill, SC where he uses his work to advocate for literacy, civic engagement and community outreach. Geter is a 2020 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow, National Poetry Slam champion, Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam finalist, Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam finalist, and a 2019 All-America City winner. He has performed at venues and competitions across the country, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Watering Hole Poetry organization. His work has been published in The Post & Courier, Charleston Currents, and the Academy of American Poets’ “Poem a day” series and plans to release his debut poetry collection in 2021.
MARCUS AMAKER (poet laureate of Charleston, SC)
Marcus Amaker was named Charleston, SC’s first Poet Laureate in 2016.He’s also the award-winning graphic designer of a national music journal, an accomplished electronic musician, the creator of a poetry festival, and a mentor to hundreds of students.His poetry has been presented by the Kennedy Center, was published alongside two national book award winners in an anthology of African American poetry, and has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, by PBS Newshour, SC Public Radio, Huffington Post, A&E Network, Charleston Magazine, Charleston City Paper, North Dakota Quarterly, Post and Courier, Charleston Scene and several other publications.
In 2019, he won a Governor’s Arts award in South Carolina, and was named the artist-in-residence of the Gaillard Center, a world-renowned performance and education venue.
His poetry has been studied in classrooms across the country and has been interpreted for ballet, jazz, modern dance, opera and theater.Marcus has recorded three albums with Grammy Award winning drummer and producer Quentin E. Baxter.