We are honored to announce that Salaam Green, the inaugural Poet Laureate of Birmingham, Alabama (2024–2026), will join us at Rural Assembly Everywhere 2025 to read from her recently released poetry collection, The Other Revival, published in June 2025.
A native of Greensboro, Ala., Green is the founder of The Literary Healing Arts, where she combines storytelling and healing rooted deeply in the Southern tradition. She is a Kellogg Foundation Racial Healing Facilitator and an Alabama Humanities Foundation Road Scholar, whose work uplifts the lived experiences of Black Southerners through poetry, performance, and presence.
Green uses poetry to create healing spaces grounded in Southern history and resilience. The Other Revival reclaims the Southern revival as a space for truth-telling and healing through oral tradition. At a time when history is being erased, this book reminds us that the most vital archives live in people—in their voices, memories, and willingness to pass stories on.
The Other Revival shapes the story of a Black woman who is asked to perform her poetry at a former plantation house and grounds. There, she hosts rituals for descendants of those enslaved at the house, and the descendants of their enslavers. The performances are collaborations and ways to heal — but they also wear down the speaker. Through a series of poetic discoveries, The Other Revival asks readers to consider our perceptions of history and the communities that host them.
Green holds a degree in English from the University of Montevallo and a Master’s in Early Childhood Education from the University of North Dakota. She has held residencies at UAB, Auburn University, and the former Wallace Plantation in Harpersville, Alabama.
Everywhere 2025 will celebrate the theme, “A Bigger Pie: Cultivating Abundance in a Time of Scarcity.” In addition to Salaam Green, this year’s gathering will feature a keynote conversation with author Natalie Baszile, a live Q&A with journalist Ray Suarez, a performance from Latingrass musicians Larry & Joe, and more.
About Rural Assembly Everywhere
Rural Assembly Everywhere is the annual virtual gathering of the Rural Assembly, a program of the Center for Rural Strategies. The virtual broadcast features speakers, conversations, music, and other elements of rural culture. Now in its fifth year as a virtual gathering, Rural Assembly Everywhere brings together people from across the country who care deeply about their rural places, neighbors, and community issues.
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