Salome Agbaroji

“This is the audacious exhale of black joy 
Not memories of tribal drums 
Or the unknowing of college shirts 
It's the laugh so hard that it hurts” 
_{- from: In The Palms Of Your Hands} 

Salome Agbaroji is a Nigerian-American poet, performer and activist. 

Through her poetry, Agbaroji pushes for social change and community action, focusing on themes of racism, oppression and inclusion as well as femininity, Christianity, home and family. Overcoming the sometimes exclusionary academics of poetry, she has learned that: “you don't have to look a certain way for your words to mean something, for your words to be worthy of a stage for an audience”. Agbaroji’s insightful perspective and lovable eccentricity lend her performances a power that leaves her audience with a lasting impression, food for thought and a hunger for more. 

In 2022 Agbaroji was selected as Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate. As the current National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States, she continues her fight against educational inequity and illiteracy, aiming to ensure that all people have access to the power that lies within their voice and words. She has performed her spoken word poetry at the Golden Globes Pre-Show as well as the NFL Rams Halftime Show and has been honored with awards such as the Scholastic Arts and Writing Award. Agbaroji currently attends Harvard University, studying Government and Political Science.