my name

i teach a creative writing course for middle and high school aged students who are homeschooled. it's really fun and i appreciate the casual and community focused educational environment. one of my superstar students is a talented teenage poet who recently gave me a homework assignment, or challenge as i call them, to write a … Continue reading my name →

Pretoria Mob Performs Illegal Eviction of Arts House in South Africa

Sunnyside, Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa — 10 June 2017 Early Saturday morning around 8am a group of roughly 40-50 people, claiming to be a medley of community associations, stormed the property of Mthubi the Hub, a nonprofit arts organization based near Hatfield at 1005 Arcadia Street. The mob ransacked the arts house throwing all the … Continue reading Pretoria Mob Performs Illegal Eviction of Arts House in South Africa →

listen first

you can buy your own freedom and enslave yourself

short poem

i love to say hello hate to say goodbye look you up and down then look you in the eye yearning for the future nostalgic for what’s passed wanna change the world but we’re still buying gas consumer and producer are we making love or am i just a pigeon mistaken for a dove … Continue reading short poem →

Allen’s video project about me

turned out very well many interviews constantly telling my story people are curious Allen Michael McNair followed me for a few weeks was very dedicated and put together a nice piece a video about me "Spoken to the Youth" by Allen Michael McNair http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BQUWSDRF48

photo update

here are a bunch of photos of me from the past couple years.

all around the world

i've been traveling a lot without updating my website. my apologies. in the summer of 2015 i took the DC Youth Slam Team to New York City, Philadelphia, Virginia Beach, Atlanta, Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Cape Town, South Africa. right now i am in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (with no young poets) for a much needed … Continue reading all around the world →

South African Poets Join Hundreds of DC Area Teens for High School Poetry Slam Festival

South African Poets Join Hundreds of DC Area Teens for High School Poetry Slam Festival Washington, DC – The nation’s capital is home to both the youth and adult reigning national poetry slam champion teams from 2014. The Beltway Poetry Slam Team won the National Poetry Slam and the DC Youth Slam Team won the … Continue reading South African Poets Join Hundreds of DC Area Teens for High School Poetry Slam Festival →

I Should’ve Cussed on the News

at the protests the news reporters keep coming up to me, asking my thoughts and why i'm there. i keep telling them there are better people to talk to and that i can put them in touch with some of the young black people leading this march. i might refuse to do the interviews from … Continue reading I Should’ve Cussed on the News →

NEA podcast

Josephine Reed at the National Endowment for the Arts interviewed me about my work with young people on the DC Youth Slam Team and with the national poetry and social justice nonprofit Split This Rock. It's a 28 minute pod cast you can hear online at http://arts.gov/audio/jonathan-tucker It starts with a student's poem, and the volume is low, … Continue reading NEA podcast →

a quick 16

i'm not an ordinary mani'm extra understandeven when i'm going INi keep an exit planeyes on all sidesthey say they like my visionlearn lessons from the skieson how to keep on givingnever gettin gotyou can't steal the raini'm not tom pettybut i'm free falling mayneheartbreaker gimme glueduct tape and a minutelife ain't a competitionbut they … Continue reading a quick 16 →

David vs. Goliath Poetry Slam Sunday July 6th

As a fundraiser for both the adult and youth slam teams representing DC, we are having the Beltway Poetry Slam Team compete against the DC Youth Slam Team. It all goes down this Sunday, July 6th at Penn Social, 801 E Street, NW, Washington, DC. Come witness the amazing talent of DC's national slam teams. … Continue reading David vs. Goliath Poetry Slam Sunday July 6th →

DJing dead prez show tonight

this is going to be major. i'm hyped to meet and rock with some revolutionary hip-hop icons tonight. all part of 5 days for the Cuban 5. The International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5 presents the DC launch party for "BATTLE CRY FOR CUBA AND ZIMBABWE," a project of M1 and … Continue reading DJing dead prez show tonight →

Making Movies

i'm having fun filming and editing video. check out this new piece promoting the Louder Than a Bomb DMV Teen Poetry Slam Festival. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVn3RNdHj0A

South Africa

so i just finished writing a grant to hopefully bring a bunch of poets from South Africa to Washington, DC next year. i had 4 grants due this week for work, plus one of my own as an individual. all of that while i was also running the largest youth poetry slam festival (and probably … Continue reading South Africa →

Shout Out to the Youth Empowerment Summit!

today is going to be awesome. I get to meet a hundred or so high school students from various schools around York, PA at Martin Library's 8th Annual Youth Empowerment Summit. i'll be delivering the keynote address, running a couple workshops, and of course performing some poems. hopefully these kids are ready to rock out. … Continue reading Shout Out to the Youth Empowerment Summit! →

Split This Rock Poetry Festival: Poems of Provocation & Witness

Here in Washington, DC, the Split This Rock Poetry Festival brings poets and activists from around the world together every other year. March 26 - 30, 2014 we are celebrating the transformative power of the imagination with poetry of provocation and witness. Please join us if you can. I'm performing Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at … Continue reading Split This Rock Poetry Festival: Poems of Provocation & Witness →

Streetposia Crew in Stockholm, Sweden

I've been enjoying this week in Sweden with Palestinian activists and poets from around the world, here at #Streetposia. We're talking oppression, resistance, BDS and academic/cultural boycotts, learning and teaching and performing every day.