Spoken-Word Poetry is a powerful art form, a powerful form of expression that allows us to convey emotion, evoke imagery and explore the depths of the human experience through carefully crafted words. E. STANLEY RICHARDSON is an American Poet, Actor, Playwright and Producer. Founder / Director of ARTSPEAKSgnv Inc. “Bringing Poetry & People Together" a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting literacy and well-being through poetry, spoken-word, storytelling and other forms of creative expression. Founder of the Bard & Broadside: North Central Florida Poetry Festival. Author of the award winning book of poetry “Hip Hop Is Dead - Long Live Hip Hop: The Birth Death And Resurrection Of Hip Hop Activism (2017). His poems have been published in various publications, including the collections “Local Lives In A Global Pandemic: Stories from North Central Florida (2021) and “In Fullness Of The Word: An Anthology of Black Poet Laureates” (2023). In 2020 E. Stanley Richardson was appointed Alachua County's Inaugural Poet Laureate and is one of five Florida poets selected by the Florida Council on Arts and Culture to be considered by the Governor as Florida's next Poet Laureate. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx