State Museum of Pennsylvania
Feeling the weight of recent violence in Harrisburg, Nathaniel Gadsden wanted to bring something uplifting to local youth during a difficult time.
On April 10, Gadsden’s organization, Writer’s Wordshop, will host a Youth Poetry Slam in downtown Harrisburg with the goal of providing an outlet for young people to express themselves.
“We’ve got to put our abilities to work to help young people,” he said. “We are hoping to inspire not only the writers, but also the community members.”
The event encourages youth from 4th to 12th grade to read an original work of poetry. Participants will be split up into three divisions according to age and compete to win cash prizes.
The poetry slam will take place at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, from 1 to 4 p.m. Entry is free, but registration is required for participating youth. There will also be vendors, music and door prize giveaways. Participants will receive a gift bag and there will be free book giveaways for children in attendance.
Gadsden reflected on his youth and how much poetry meant to him as a child, giving him a way to be heard. He hopes that it will do the same for students participating in the poetry slam.
“We want to see them using their voices for positive things,” he said. “A lot of young people have dealt with trauma. If we can get them to unpack that stuff in a positive way, we can make a difference in our community.”
Nicole Wilkerson, a co-organizer of the event, is also hoping to see youth recognize the value of poetry and writing and the ability it has to open doors to future career paths.
Gadsden is expecting to see many young people involved in the poetry slam, noting that students from local schools will likely be in attendance.
“We are hoping to inspire students just to write—period,” Gadsden said.
For more information, contact Nathaniel Gadsden at 717-608-2312 or pgadsden@aol.com. To register for the Youth Poetry Slam, click here.
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