Norman Riggs aka Knowledge has been such a blessing to the team these last 2 years. He is a teacher and spoken word artist born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Experiencing the Civil Rights Movement at a young age inspires him today to speak out against social injusticeand racism. He is a published author of Lil of A lot (and then some) which was released in 2020. What I See was released in 2022. Both books are a collection of poems. He hosts, performs at several poetic events, and coaches teen poets for Arts Equity Collectiveas part of the Ohio Poetry Out Loud and Mt. Healthy Alliance Charitable Organization to help utilize and elevate their talents for open mic shows, event performances, and poetry slams. Also, he is a member of Hit The Mic Cincy, Ohio Poetry Association, andPoets Against Racism & Hate USA, and has been featured on Channel 12 WKRC.

A Slate is a scribe, mother, servant, film writer, recording artist, actress, international spoken word artist, and friend. She is the founder of Light Every Path, which houses The WRITElife Village, a platform designed for youth to creatively express themselves without judgment, bias, or fear, through poetry. Slate is a 2019 TEDxDayton speaker, and performer. She is also the writer anddirector of, “Five Graceful Shifts,” a 2020 Woman Scream Festival Film, and Culture Works Sponsored Collection, that speaks to mental illness and art as therapy. Empowered by The Most High God and Ephesians 2:8-10, she strives to aspire, inspire, edify, andencourage.

MoPoetry Phillips is an international spoken word artist, co-founder of Regal Rhythms Poetry LLC, which also curates Hit the Mic Cincy’s Open Mic, and President of Arts Equity Collective. She is a member of the Ohio Poetry Association, Poets Against Racism& Hate, Urban Appalachian Community Coalition (UACC), and serves on the Cincinnati Arts Museum Board. She has been highlighted in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Herald, and Street Vibes newspapers; Urban One and WAIFM Radio; WCVG, WCPO, WXIX, WLWT andWVXU news. MoPoetry’s passion is to unify artists to create a greater impact within the community.