Sacrificial Poets (Local Non-Profit)

Sacrificial Poets aims to foster creativity and healthy self-expression among youth in the Chapel Hill area. When the previous director, Will McInerney, left the organization in 2014, Samathryn Witham, was chosen to be the new director by the board of directors. As a former English teacher, Samathryn was excited about Sacrificial Poets as a more informal approach to literacy.

Sacrificial Poets offers workshops and hosts community events such as Open Mic Nights and Youth Poetry Slams to provide youth the tools they need to address issues in the community. The Marian Creek Jackson Center also partners with Sacrificial Poets for Fusion Youth Radio, a program that supports youth reporters producing stories about concerns in their community.

When the staff decreased from five people to only Samathryn and a part-time teaching artist over the past year, Samathryn states that the Bonners were “instrumental in keeping the doors open” by leading the open mics and poetry slams. In the future, Bonners hope to also be involved in supporting local schools’ poetry clubs and continuing to develop the local youth’s voice.

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