Last month, Shahaddah Jack was appointed the city’s inaugural youth poet laureate. Over a two-year term, the 20-year-old spoken word poet and human rights activist will serve as a literary ambassador, attending civic events and creating works of poetry that amplify young voices. Jack, who’s also a journalism student at Toronto Metropolitan University, recently spoke with the Star about her new role, her upbringing and how she hopes to represent Toronto youth.
(This interview has been edited for length and clarity.) The first word that comes to mind is “humbling.” I’ve been writing poetry since I was 12 and performing professionally since the age of 13, with incredible mentors by my side.
But I do it because I love it. I can’t think of artists who do this work for the accolades. We do it because we know there are people out there who need to hear these stories and who need to know they’re not alone in their experiences.
This is something that’s bigger than myself. I’m excited, but I also understand the responsibility of allowing youth to truly believe in the impact of their voice and to believe in the possibilities that belong to them. I’m a proud Scarborough girl and I went to Clairlea Public School.
When I was in seventh grade, I had a teacher named Madame Jang-Naruse, whom I’m still connected with today, and she brought in a along with another poet whose name, unfortunately, I can’t remember. But they came in and showed us what poetry was beyond what.
