This second day of the 22nd CityLit Festival takes advantage of National Poetry Month while paying homage to iconic poet Nikki Giovanni with the festival theme Our Stories Give Light to Our Future (from her Dear Teacher poem) and with a good time for the truth. “If now isn’t a good time for the truth, I don’t see when we’ll get to it,” she poets. DewMore Baltimore, a program of the Black Arts District, hosts the 10th annual Youth Poetry Summit in partnership with CityLit Festival. Students from ten Baltimore City and Baltimore County schools will attend workshops led by national slam poetry champions, Ephraim Nehemiah, Mecca Verdell, and Black Chakra, with an open mic with Kenneth Something. The day infused with poetry features award-winning poet Rudy Francisco and concludes with a youth poetry slam with $2,000 in prizes, hosted by Maryland’s Poet Laureate Lady Brion. Rudy Francisco is a national poetry slam champion. He is the author of six books including his most recent book I’ll Fly Away. He has appeared on TV One’s Verses and Flow, the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and ABC’s The Bachelorette.

10:00 am – Welcome
10:30 am – Workshops facilitated by Ephraim Nehemiah, Mecca Verdell, Black Chakra1
2:00 pm – Open Mic and Lunch Hosted by Kenneth Something
1:15  pm – Rudy Francisco Feature Performance 
1:30 pm – Youth Poetry Slam hosted by Lady Brion – Open to the public
3:30 pm – Dismissal