A ceremony was held in Montgomery on Wednesday to honor Ashley M. Jones, who was named Alabama’s first Black poet laureate earlier this year.
Governor Kay Ivey presented a commendation to Jones, who is a creative writing teacher at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham. Jones’ writing mainly centers around the difficulties of being black in America. At 31, Jones is also the youngest poet laureate in Alabama’s history.
Jones will hold the position until 2026. Her historic appointment to her new role was covered by the New York Times, who referred to her as a poet “known for her piercing prose on Black womanhood.”