By Jasmin Shirley
York celebrated National Poetry Month in April and we want to honor Teacher Education professor and poet Lindamichelle Baron, who was named the Inaugural Poet Laureate of the Town of Hempstead, Long Island. Poetry is when emotions, ideas, and experiences are sculpted into words that form a sort of story. It’s an art form that distills language to its essence, using rhythm, imagery, and metaphor to include deep feelings, provoke thought, and convey meaning in a uniquely profound way.
Baron, an author of books, book chapters, and articles and a presenter in her education field, has expertise in Literacy, Critical Literacy, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Poetry as Pedagogy, Social and Emotional Intelligence, and the Sexual Health of Black Adolescent Girls. A former chair of the Teacher Education department and still fully engaged with her teaching, Baron also serves as chair of the board of the Africana Studies Center (ASC) at York College.
She received this award last year in December 2023 and was nominated during the Kwanzaa ceremony. She believes that her nomination happened because Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby consistently shows support for the town’s children, libraries, and school. She has been sharing her work at schools and libraries throughout Nassau County and the tri-state area for a while now. After she was presented the award she met Nassau County Poet Laureate Paula Curci, spoken word artist, radio host, and organizer of anything that involves poetry.
Baron has been teaching at York for almost over 20 years in the Department of Teacher Education. She said that through her teaching, her poetry helps support educational pedagogy as well as connecting her poetic engagement with school-aged children, their teachers, and parents with the science of reading.
Baron said her inspiration for poetry began with junior high school English teachers who had her read poets like Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and many others.
When asked what advice she had for aspiring poets, Baron replied, “Write from your spirit and who you are. Speak your truth. People should write in their own style and be willing to share their poems with others. Getting feedback makes a difference.”
