In March 2020, the Poetry Coalition will launch “I am deliberate / and afraid / of nothing: Poetry & Protest,” its fourth annual programming initiative. For this collaborative effort, each of the twenty-five organizations in the coalition will bring its unique mission to the task of presenting programs and projects on this timely theme, which was inspired by a number of occasions taking place this year, including the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote and the 50th anniversary of the tragic shooting of student protesters at Kent State University. It also speaks to the role poetry has played in encouraging civic and grassroots engagement, and contributed to public debate and dialogue.

We’re inviting any and all poetry organizations to program on this theme in March and share their efforts using the hashtags #PoetryandProtest and #PoetryCoalition.