A Celebration of Poetry - Honoring Prince George's County's Inaugural Poet Laureate, J. Joy "Sistah Joy" Matthews Alford

Hosted in partnership with the Prince George's County Memorial Library System, PGAHC. recently held an event to honor the outgoing Poet Laureate of our county, J. Joy "Sistah Joy" Matthews Alford, and celebrate their contributions to our community during her tenure. The event was a great success, and we were thrilled to see so many people come out to show their support and appreciation for Sistah Joy.

The evening began with speeches from Nicholas Brown, Acting Co-Chief Executive Officer Chief Operating Officer for Communication and Outreach, PGCMLS, PGAHC's own Rhonda Dallas, State Delegate Ashanti Martinez, State Senator Melony Griffith, and District 2 County Councilmember Wanika Fisher, all whom praised Sistah Joy for her dedication to promoting literacy and poetry throughout our Prince George's County and presented Sistah Joy with official state commendations and a proclamation from the County Executive. Gretchen D. Lofland, Vice President of the Prince George's County Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women also presented Sistah Joy with an achievement award. Poet and Former PGCMLS Board of Trustee Member, Hiram Larew, PhD shared his remarks and a poem. The 2023 Prince George's County Youth Poet Laureate, Precious Foreman, shared two original poems in honor of Sistah Joy.

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Then, Sistah Joy took the stage to share some of her favorite poems from her time as Poet Laureate, and reflect on the impact of poetry in Prince George's County. Her words were inspiring and moving, and left many in the audience feeling touched and inspired. She expressed her gratitude to the community for the opportunity to serve, and encouraged others to continue to support and promote the literary arts.

Guests were also able to enjoy light refreshments and mingle with one another, creating a sense of community and shared appreciation for the arts.

As the evening drew to a close, Sistah Joy was presented with a special portrait by Arts'tination Artist in Residence Roger James honoring her contributions to our community as the inaugural Poet Laureate.

After her speech, Sistah Joy announced and presented the gavel to the 2023 Prince George's County Poet Laureate, Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Ed.D, who stepped up to the podium amidst applause and cheers.. Khadijah shared her excitement at being selected for the position and promised to continue promoting the power of poetry to inspire, educate, and connect people.

Overall, the event was a wonderful celebration of the power of poetry to bring people together and inspire positive change. We are grateful for the opportunity to honor Sistah Joy and celebrate her contributions to our beloved Prince George's County.

Poet LaureatePGAHCMay 5, 2023