Meet Mahogany L. Browne: The Lincoln Center’s First Ever Poet-in-Residence

Mahogany L. Browne is a poet, “author, organizer, and educator” from Brooklyn, N.Y. who knows a thing or two about fostering a sense of community.

Browne serves as the Executive Director of JustMedia, which is a “literacy initiative designed to support the groundwork of criminal justice leaders and community members.” But Browne is also using her talents on another platform. She  became the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ first poet-in-residence, per the center’s recent announcement.

“We Are The Work”—the name of the residency— will incorporate in-person and virtual events, “along with new poetry by Browne, commissioned specifically for the residency.”

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This residency “will include all of the intersections that shaped my process as both artist and advocate,” Browne said. “My landscape of being has been impacted by mass incarceration, poetry, social movement work, abolition, immigration, reclamation of joy, youth leadership, literacy, and mental wellness. This grouping of writers, artists, movement workers, experts, performers, and educators is a call to the frontline.”

Browne’s residency will kick off on July 10 with a “multipart roving artistic experience” showcasing visual and literary artists –such as Russell Craig, Rico Frederick, Eboni Hogan, and others. The selected artists will explore oppression. Live music will be provided. Youth will also perform poetry. Brown will host the inaugural event which will be followed by free curated events which include a book fair, film screenings, concerts, readings, spoke word events, a baby movement class and more which will be open to the public, according to the press release.

The residency is being presented with Restart Stages, which is described as  “a program of the SNF-LC Agora Initiative with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which activates outdoor space through artistic and community initiatives that speak to our current moment, and reimagines cultural engagement in public space for a new era,” per Broadway World.

“As we do our part to champion the cultural and economic comeback of our city, it’s incumbent upon us to ensure we’re supporting the voices, stories, and lived experiences of those whose artistry holds up a mirror to our world—even when those stories and experiences may be difficult to see,” Jordana Leigh, Senior Director of Programming at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts said in the announcement. “Poetry is a uniquely powerful art form. We are so fortunate to be working with Mahogany and the phenomenal group of artists she is convening.”

Please click here to learn more information about the event on July 10 or Browne’s forthcoming in-person and virtual events in which will be a part of the Lincoln Center’s for the Performing Arts’ residency.