About the Event

Join us in honoring the centennial of Langston Hughes’ seminal poetry collection, "The Weary Blues" (1926) through a poetic Nebraska-Baltimore tribute. Hosted by the youngest and first ever African American State Poet of Nebraska Jewel Rodgers, and featuring acclaimed poets, educators and organizers–Noni Williams, Joël Díaz, Lady Brion, Ephraim Nehemiah and Black Chakra. This event will take place at Busboys and Poets (5331 Baltimore Ave, Hyattsville, MD 20781.)

2026 marks 100 years since the publication of Langston Hughes’ seminal poetry collection "The
Weary Blues." In celebration of this remarkable volume, Dream Keepers gathers poets from
Nebraska and Baltimore to connect Hughes’s legacy with contemporary Black culture. Through
this cross-regional exchange, Dream Keepers pays tribute to Hughes’ contributions–as poet,
novelist, playwright, essayist, activist–as well as to his deep kinship with the people he wrote for and about.

Featured Poets

Jewel Rodgers is the 2025–2029 Nebraska State Poet, a 2025 Academy of American Poets
Fellowship recipient, and a 2025 AIRIES Fellow. Rodgers is a nationally touring
interdisciplinary performer and spatial practitioner. As the youngest and first-ever African
American State Poet of Nebraska, Jewel is on a mission to build cross-regional connections
between Black poets and literary communities. She has been invited to Dream Keepers to
strengthen ties between poets from Nebraska and Baltimore, and bring to this occasion the genre-fluid, publicly engaged praxis that Hughes exemplified.

Lady Brion is an international spoken word artist, poetry coach, activist, organizer and
educator. Named 2016 National Poetry Slam Champion and 2017 Southern Fried Regional Slam
Champion, Lady Brion is the recipient of the Open Society Institute Fellowship centered around
her project facilitating poetry workshops in prisons and group homes throughout Maryland. She
also received the 2017 Salzburg Fellowship for Social Innovators. She is Cultural Curator for
Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle (LBS), a grassroots think-tank which advances the public policy
interest of Black people, in Baltimore, through: youth leadership development, political advocacy and autonomous intellectual innovation.

Joël Díaz is a writer, educator and steward for arts and culture with a vested interest in
storytelling, community building, and creative placemaking. He has organized programs for
influential arts institutions in New York City, including The Schomburg Center for Research in
Black Culture, Pioneer Works and The Museum of the City of New York. As a consultant,
strategic advisor, and sensitivity reader, Joël has worked with major and independent publishers,
and other educational organizations, to expand, enhance and fortify their literary offerings. His
writing has been featured in The Nation, The Feminist Wire and Interviewing the Caribbean. He
is currently the Director of Programs at The Clifton House where he leads the organization’s public programs, exhibitions, publications and artist residencies.

Noni Williams is a poet, teaching artist, mathematician, philosopher and senior data
professional born and raised in North Omaha, Nebraska. Noni finds purpose in using
mathematical concepts as a lens for exploring the perceived world around them and fostering the
joy of that exploration in others. Noni is a 2024 Ten Outstanding Young Omahan, a 2024 Ten
Outstanding Young American, and an Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards Outstanding
Performance Poet nominee. Their work has been featured by Joslyn Art Museum, Opera Omaha,
Kiewit Luminarium, Juneteenth JoyFest, AfroFest, Omaha Diversity Experience, Silicon Prairie News and others.

Ephraim Nehemiah is a writer, educator and award-winning performance poet. Their work sits
comfortably in the Black cultural lineage of griots who are dedicated to using truth to document
and critique the world around them. Named 2021 National Poetry Slam Champion, and
Baltimore's 2020 Grand Slam Champion, Ephraim has received grants from PEN America,
Maryland State Arts Council, and The Cleveland Foundation. They have showcased their work
with Tedx Talks, Saul Williams World Tour, National Basketball Association and countless other
venues, colleges, and institutions across the nation. Their first full-length poetry book The
Autobiography of Absence was published in 2021 with Twelve Arts Press.

Black Chakra is a spoken word and hip-hop artist whose talents have been showcased on stages
across America. In his time competing he has been a National Poetry Slam Champion, Texas
Grand Slam Champion, Southern Fried Slam Champion and a plethora of other accolades too
long to list. Black Chakra embodies the city of Baltimore through aggressive performance and
incredible writing. Next to being the talented writer that he is, what he takes the most pride in is
being a youth poetry teacher for DewMore Baltimore. He helps Baltimore youth cultivate their talent and showcase it on national stages.

Organizers 

Co-organized by Ann Alex (doctoral candidate, University of Maryland–College Park) and
Alliya Dagman (doctoral candidate, New York University). This celebration has been made
possible through the 2025-26 Arts for All Fellowship awarded to Ann Alex, with generous
support from the College of Arts & Humanities; the Harriet Tubman Department of Women,
Gender and Sexuality Studies; the Center for Literary and Comparative Studies; and the Latin
American and Caribbean Studies Center at the University of Maryland–College Park.