Real quick . . . last year, Our Human Family deviated from its usual fare of creative nonfiction and ventured into the world of poetry for the first time. The murder of George Floyd and the unprecedented numbers of Black Lives Matter protests in the United States and around the world served as both the catalyst and inspiration for our first annual poetry series on Medium, Equal People.

Our foray into poetry, which consisted of an international gathering of bards and balladeers shepherded by OHF Weekly Special Projects Editor Sherry Kappel, was a tremendous hit.

Celebrated word alchemist, storyteller, and poet Joel Leon set the tone for last year’s offerings with his lyrical introductory essay “Poetry Will Save the World.”

Poetry Will Save the World
This essay is a part of “Equal People,” Our Human Family’s anthology of international poetry on equality and inclusivity. Everything in the world feels like it is burning. This is not Burning Man, a…

Sherry and this year’s international poets are back, inspired by Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman’s stirring poem “The Hill We Climb” from the January 2021 presidential inauguration. Our 2021 collection will give you cause to ruminate and promises to rejuvenate.

As part of your paid subscription, each day beginning Thursday, May 13, and ending Sunday, May 23, you’ll receive a selection from this year’s Equal People series delivered to your email.

Want access to Equal People and the rest of OHF Weekly? Know a poetry lover who has a passion for racial equity and equality all around? Gift yourself and them a monthly or yearly subscription right now. (But be sure to use the recipient’s email address when gifting a subscription for someone else.)

Have a great week and enjoy the poetry!

Love one another.

Clay Rivers
OHF Weekly Founder and Editorial Director

Check out all the submissions from this year’s series by growing the Equal People 2021 tag page.

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