D.J. Rogers selected as Durham's first poet laureate, hoping to give voice to Bull City communities
The city of Durham has selected D.J. Rogers as its first-ever poet laureate.
Rogers was selected as part of a pilot program with a goal of championing the art of poetry in the Bull City. He began reading and writing poetry at a young age because it was accessible.
"When I was a child, I had really severe untreated ADHD," Rogers said. "The treatments we had tried just weren’t very effective, and so we tried therapeutic methods which worked for a lot of things, but not with my reading or reading comp.
"Because poetry was a little bit on the shorter side, it allowed my attention span to engage with it."
Rogers believes poetry is everywhere.
"If you’ve ever written or read anything, watched a movie, watched a show, you have seen poetry," Rogers said.
Rogers was born and raised in Raleigh. In recent years, he's seen a shift in the Triangle.
"Seeing how a community exists here, but was uniformly pushed out, and wanting to help that community continue to have and foster a voice, was what really made me want to engage in this work as Poet Laureate," Rogers said.
Rogers doesn’t only want to use his narrative style to tell about his experience. He is hoping to create a new context and definition of "urban revitalization," giving marginalized communities the tools to tell their stories.
"Giving people the opportunity and the space and the access, which is what a lot of these people lack, having been there myself growing up, the access to really create something that allows them to talk about their home and their story on their terms," Rogers said.
Rogers was selected as part of a pilot program. His term as poet laureate will run one year.
As the Bull City’s first poet laureate, Rogers will read poems at ceremonial events, provide a handful of public readings and host at least three educational opportunities.
In a statement, Mayor Elaine O’Neal wrote: "I am excited about the appointment of Durham’s first Poet Laureate. Durham is rich in cultural resources and the establishment of a City Poet Laureate is a natural addition to what our community has to offer. DJ Rogers’ previous work in the Durham community speaks for itself. Poetry is a beautiful form of creative art and expression that will serve to promote peace, uplift, and unite our community and I am excited about how we can engage DJ in our upcoming community events, ceremonies, and celebrations and what he will bring to this inaugural position.”
You can learn more about the Poet Laureate Pilot Program here.
