Alexandra Huynh, an 18-year-old writer from Sacramento, California, is the new National Youth Poet Laureate.
The literary organization Urban Word, which runs the National Youth Poet Laureate program, made the announcement in a ceremony on Thursday.
“We are so very proud of Alexandra,” said Michael Cirelli, who founded the program. “Her words, poise, and brilliance speak to the heart of what our nation needs to hear right now.…We congratulate Alexandra and each finalist for their hard work and achievements.”
Huynh, a second-generation Vietnamese American and soon-to-be Stanford undergraduate, “employs poetry as a tool of self-reclamation and social justice for marginalized communities,” Urban Word said.
The National Youth Poet Laureate program was launched in 2017. The first poet to be honored, Amanda Gorman, has since become a poetry superstar, reading a poem at President Joe Biden’s inauguration and performing at the Super Bowl.
“Alexandra will be a stellar representative for her peers and for the national youth literary arts community that has captured the world’s attention,” said Shanelle Gabriel, Urban Word’s interim executive director. “These young voices show us what is possible when we offer young people the support they need, and the stages they deserve, and allow their lights to shine.”
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
