because we still need to celebrate firsts

In 2015, Jacqueline Woodson was the first African American Children’s Poet Laureate. “This laureateship aims to promote poetry to children and their families, teachers and librarians over the course of its two-year tenure.”

Margarita Engle, Woodson’s successor and the current Children’s Poet Laureate, is the first Latinx to hold the position that “honors a living writer in recognition of a career devoted to writing exceptional poetry for young readers.”

Woodson’s first job at the age of two was starring in a series of print advertisements forAlagara Syrup. Most currently, her writing is included in Flying Lessons and Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh, cofounder of We Need Diverse Books. In October, she’ll release the adult book, Autobiography of a Family Photo.

Margarita’s first published book was The Poet Slave of Cuba A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano.

One of her most recent poems was written to honor subversive actions on Dr. Sarah Dahlen Park and other #diversityJedis