Detroit’s Young Poets Take over the City’s Billboards

Photography credit: Jon Clark

InsideOut Literary Arts, Detroit’s largest and longest-running literary arts education organisation, has celebrated youth voices by erecting twelve billboards in key locations throughout the city featuring poetry by Detroit youth. From major intersections to neighbourhood corridors, the campaign transforms everyday public spaces into platforms for creative expression and invites residents to engage with poetry of young Detroit students in bold and unexpected ways.

This is InsideOut’s fourth year putting out a youth-centred billboard campaign, which it continues to do with creative support from Detroit-based creative and design agency Lafayette American, a partner well-aligned with InsideOut’s mission to make youth voices more visible in the fabric of city life.

“We love putting student poems on billboards because it shows kids that their ideas and imaginations deserve a big platform,” said Suma Karaman Rosen, executive director of InsideOut Literary Arts. “It’s a physical manifestation of our mission – all young people should have the opportunity to think broadly, create bravely, and share their voices with the world. We adults---Metro Detroit drivers, everyone–are ready to listen, or in this case, look up.”

Founded in 1995, InsideOut has reached 80,000 students through school-based residencies, after-school programs, and public performances. Today, the organisation serves more than 3,000 students annually across nearly 40 metro Detroit schools, helping youth discover the power of their voices through creative writing and mentorship from professional writers. Former InsideOut students and teaching artists include Big Sean, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Michael R. Jackson, internationally recognised hip hop artist Mahogany Jones, and former Michigan Poet Laureate Nandi Comer.

"We're so proud to partner with InsideOut and all these young Detroit poets,” said Toby Barlow, CEO of Lafayette American. “This is how you build a healthy community, a strong culture and a vibrant city, you celebrate your strongest voices, you lift up the best ideas. It's great to see Detroit embracing this as an annual thing, it should really be a global thing."