
Buffalo-Born Poet Jillian Hanesworth Delivers Poem At New York’s State Of The State
Now, there is a saying that has been floating around the nation that relates most things back to the 716. No matter where you go or what you do, you can almost always find a connection to Buffalo.
That, of course, was on full display at the New York State of the State address in Albany. Most folks would say that's primarily due to the fact that New York's Governor is a proud Buffalonian who goes by the name of Kathy Hochul. However, there is another reason why Buffalo and Western New York needed to pay special attention to the State of the State, that's because the event featured a poem written by our own EMMY Award Winning Jillian Hanesworth.
Hanesworth, who is no stranger to the spotlight, gave an empowered talk to the state to help us keep in mind things that we should be thinking about and looking forward to in the coming year while also being mindful of the past.
I had the opportunity to chat with Ms. Hanesworth about what helped motivate her when speaking to the Empire State. You can check out what she had to say below:
- EN: Where did you find or what did you use as your primary inspiration for the poem you performed?
- JH: There's a poem I wrote after May 14th called "Mourning Until Morning". When the governor first heard it, she cried, and that's the poem she originally wanted spoken. For multiple reasons, I felt pushed to go in another direction so one day I made of list of things I want to see happen in NYS. The list included things like government transparency, community engagement and leadership, better wages, and giving youth a reason to be hopeful that our state isn't going to abandon their future. That list was the inspiration. After I completed the poem, I sent it to the governor's team and they loved it. I knew I'd be in front of elected officials and lawmakers from all over the state, so I wanted to paint a picture of a united New York that really centered on the needs of the people.
- EN: How does your history and experience as a Buffalo community organizer influence the themes you chose to highlight?
- JH: I guess you could say that being in positions and learning from people with a systems change mindset always helps when it comes to declaring what we need, but honestly, it's much simpler than that. There's a line from the poem that comes from my time spent with sound organizers about people closest to the problems being the ones closest to the solutions, and like most people, I'm close to the problems. I know what it feels like to struggle financially, to live in communities without access to fresh food, to go to sleep to the sound of sirens, and to feel like no one really cares. That feeling is what pushes my writing. I'm blessed enough to also know how it feels to have people uplift me, take chances on me, advocate for and support me, and give me the opportunity to want more for myself. That's the purpose of my writing. Prior to being the Poet Laureate, that's what I did, and now that I'm no longer the current Poet Laureate, that's still the goal. It's who I am, regardless of a role or title.
- EN: What message or action do you hope people take away from your poem?
- JH: I hope at the very least, people will start to think about what our home needs to look like in order for it to work for them and begin to use their own platforms to paint that picture for others. That picture should inform who they vote for and how they impact their own communities. In the best case scenario, people will actually begin to unite around our collective needs and demand that all the public servants who work for us work towards the outcome we decide on. If not, we fire them.
You can listen to what she had to say for herself below.
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Gallery Credit: Ed Nice