TALENA LACHELLE QUEEN Poet | Educator | Community Leader BIOGRAPHY Talena Lachelle Queen is a poet, educator, and community leader from Paterson, New Jersey, where she has dedicated her life to bridging the worlds of poetry, education, and social justice. Since 2018, she has had the honor of serving as Paterson's first African American Poet Laureate, a role that reflects her deep commitment to elevating voices and stories that have long deserved center stage. Her work spans multiple dimensions of literary and educational leadership. As President of Word Seed Inc., a nonprofit organization she founded, she has created platforms that nurture emerging writers and celebrate the transformative power of language. She also serves as Executive Director of the Paterson Poetry Festival and Vice President of CavanKerry Press, roles that allow her to amplify diverse voices in the literary community. ACADEMIC WORK Currently, Talena is pursuing her doctorate in Education at National University's Sanford College of Education, where her dissertation explores "The Poem as Punctum: A Narrative Action Research Study of Poetry's Role in Developing Poetic Empathetic Leadership." This research embodies her belief that poetry is not merely an art form—it is a catalyst for developing empathy, fostering leadership, and creating meaningful social change. TEACHING & EDUCATION In the classroom, Talena teaches AP Seminar at College Achieve Public Schools High School, working with brilliant 10th-grade scholars—primarily Black and Latino students, many of whom are multilingual learners. Through culturally responsive pedagogy and affirming language, she helps young people discover their voices, develop critical thinking skills, and see themselves as the brilliant intellectuals they are. COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP Beyond these roles, Talena has established numerous cultural initiatives including Paterson Poetry Month and the Passaic County Literary Arts Cultural Center. Her mission is simple yet profound: to demonstrate that poetry and education are not separate from leadership and social justice—they are essential tools for building a more empathetic, equitable world. CURRENT ROLES • Poet Laureate, City of Paterson, NJ (Since 2018) - First African American to hold this position • PhD Candidate, National University - Sanford College of Education • President & Founder, Word Seed Inc. • Executive Director, Paterson Poetry Festival • Vice President, CavanKerry Press • AP Seminar Teacher, College Achieve Public Schools High School SPEAKING TOPICS Talena is available for speaking engagements on: • Poetry as a Tool for Empathetic Leadership • Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Action • The Arts as Catalysts for Social Justice • Building Literary Community in Urban Spaces • Transformative Learning Through Creative Expression • Empowering Multilingual & BIPOC Learners • Narrative Action Research in Education • From Page to Platform: The Poet's Journey RECOGNITION • Inducted into Hall of Excellence, University of Washington Bothell • NJEA Urban Educator Award • $270,535 NJEDA A.R.T. Phase II grant for the Poetic License Project CONTACT Email: contact@talenalqueen.com Website: talenalqueen.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/talena-lachelle-queen-mfa Instagram: @talenalqueen --- © 2024 Talena Lachelle Queen. All rights reserved.