April is National Poetry Month, and East Tennessee State University has a great reason to celebrate.
Junior Nia Thompson is currently serving as the Youth Poet Laureate of Knoxville. She’s the first Black person to take on the role. The program is sponsored by the Knoxville Writers’ Guild and works in the region to lift up young writers. As Laureate, Thompson serves as the face and ambassador of the program, spending the year performing at different events and sharing her expertise.
“Being the first Black person to hold this position is an honor,” she said. “I can't wait to appeal to my community and bring a pop of color into the youth poetry scene.”
The creative journey
The Knoxville native says her journey with poetry began when she was just eight years old and realized she was the only Black student in her grade.
“There was a lot of discrimination against people of color. I started writing to cope with the things I saw as a child,” Thompson reflected.
Since becoming Youth Poet Laureate, she’s performed and shared her work more than ever. While she’s no stranger to the stage, putting her poetry in the spotlight was a brand-new experience.
“I have performed songs and music, but it's so easy to get lost in the beat and melody that most people don't really hear the words,” Thompson said. “With poetry, it's like my diary being opened for everyone to speculate, which is a little nerve-wracking.”
But that piece of the experience has been even more rewarding.
“Being the Knoxville Youth Poet Laureate has given me a voice I didn't know I had. I can inspire people with words I just scribbled in my notebook, and to me that is so exciting and makes me wonder what else could I do,” she reflected.
Looking ahead and going beyond
Thompson is in her first year at ETSU, studying studio art. Besides poetry and music, she also enjoys expressing herself through visual mediums like photography.
Once she graduates, she hopes to continue her education so she can share her passion with the next generation of creatives.
“I plan on getting my master's to be a professor and own a couple of art galleries,” she said.
ETSU is a place where the arts thrive – whether it’s in the classroom, on the stage or in the gallery. From strong academic programs to breathtaking showcases and performances, the Mary B. Martin School of the Arts helps students hone talents and learn new skills while building confidence so they’re prepared to make an impact on campus, in the region, or wherever their careers take them.
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