"There are poets, wordsmiths, rhymers and rappers in this world, but jessica Care moore is a movement in herself. She walks the talk and liberates us all with her tireless energy and spirit.”

— Chuck D, Public Enemy

About The Instructor

Meet jessica Care moore, the world renowned, award winning poet, recording artist, book publisher, activist, cultural arts curator and filmmaker. She has performed on every continent, and believes poems belong everywhere and to everyone.

She is the Executive Producer and Founder of the 19-year-old rock & roll concert and empowerment weekend, Daughters of Betty — powered by Black WOMEN Rock! — and founder of The Moore Art House, a 501c3 dedicated to elevating literacy through the arts in neighborhoods and schools. She has mentored youth all over the city, but most prominently inside DSA, Western International, and of course, her Alma Mater, Frank Cody High.

moore is the author of The Words Don’t Fit in My Mouth, The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto, God is Not an American, and Sunlight Through Bullet Holes. Her fifth book, "We Want Our Bodies Back" published by Harper Collins in 2020 won the American Library Association Black Caucus Poetry Honor. Her first children's book, Her Crown Shines is slated to be published in 2023 and illustrated by Dare Coulter (Harper Collins). Her poem recently caught the attention of Oprah Winfrey and she shared it widely on her social media pages.

In February, moore was invited by the family of Malcolm X to read her work at The Shabazz Center, alongside Angela Davis and Civil Rights Attorney Benjamin Crump. She has read her work and leant her powerful voice to many causes all over the world, including, United Nations World Aids Day, Shanghai's Iron Mic Music Festival, Berlin International Poetry Festival, Flupp International Literary Festival in Brazil, and was honored to perform at the first Afrochella Festival in Ghana during the year of the return. Her work has graced the stages of The Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the London Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Her full scale theatrical work, Salt City, A Futurist Techno Choreopoem premiered at The Apollo Theater this April. In 2023 she received A Spirit of Detroit Award, a "Cultural Hero" Award from The Torch of Wisdom Foundation and The "Trailblazing Poet" award from Words Beats and Life in Washington D.C., in addition to Testimonial Resolution from the Detroit City Council. She was appointed by Governor Whitmer to The Michigan Council of Arts and Culture. The Director of the Ford Foundation referred to her as a National Treasure.

She is a 2019 and 2017 Knight Arts Recipient, a 2018 Joyce Award Winner, 2016 Kresge Art Fellow, The 2013 Alain Locke Awardee and the 2015 NAACP Great Expectation Award.

Your favorite's emcee's favorite poet, she has recorded her poetry with Common, Nas, Jeezy, Talib Kweli, Karriem Riggins, Jeff Mills, The Last Poets, Jose James, Roy Ayers and more. She's read her work and leant her powerful voice to many causes all over the world. She just wrapped on her first feature film, He Looked Like A Postcard directed by Qasim Basir, which she produced, wrote and performed in the lead role. A film that also features fellow Cody Comet Alum, and lead singer for Brownstone, Nicci Gilbert!

Moore captivated a national television audience in the 90's when she won the legendary “It’s Showtime at the Apollo” competition a record breaking five times in a row — with a poem. moore's poetry and voice is prominently featured on the 4th floor of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History. She is a proud Detroiter and lives in the city where she raises her 16-year old musician, actor and poet, King.

About This Session

In this Urban Consulate masterclass, moore shares wisdom from her genre-bending, multi-hyphenate artistic career, including lessons on:

Disrupting Spaces
Building Institutions
Reinventing Yourself
Pushing Boundaries
Investing in Artists

How To Watch

Watch on your own time, at your own pace — or invite friends or colleagues to watch together and discuss! Share your favorite wisdom by tagging @UrbanConsulate hashtag #InSession. We’d love to hear what lessons enlighten, challenge and inspire you most.

This class is available for free to the public thanks to generous support from the Ford Foundation. With deep gratitude to jessica for sharing her knowledge and expertise.