What an honor it is to be requested to speak at Mayor Sean Ryan’s Inauguration at Kleinhans Music Hall on January 1, 2026. Such a historic moment to be archived and remembered forever. I am grateful and find it an honor to serve as Buffalo’s Poet Laureate. To represent my faith, family, community within our city. Standing as a wife, mother, artist and business owner. From the Eastside. From foster care to freedom through the creative arts.

Congratulations Mayor Sean Ryan. We look forward to your leadership in this City of good neighbors.

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Special thanks to Get Fokus’d Productions Collaborators: Laviba Akther, Kalvin Booker and Eman Wajed for capturing the moment through photography & film.

This written piece traces Buffalo’s roots—from Haudenosaunee teachings on unity to the city’s hard truths and enduring resilience. With vivid imagery and a call to “be human first,” the address urges integrity, humility, and collective action to build a brighter Buffalo.