Q&A with Baltimore based poet Kondwani Fidel

Welcome to Getting To The Truth In This Art. This episode's guest is writer, spoken word artist, and speaker Kondwani Fidel.

Kondwani Fidel and his poetry have become one in the same. The passion Fidel brings to his work has taken the Baltimore native around the globe to confront education reform, civil rights, and growing up in an underserved community. Fidel has captivated audiences at conferences, literary events, and has lectured and taught classes at the University of East London while touring in the United Kingdom. Fidel’s lyrical poetry has been featured in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, The Root, The Independent, Mic, and Baltimore Sun along with his inspiring narratives for brands such as Under Armour. His viral essay, “How a Young Boy has Been Decaying in Baltimore Since Age 10: A Death Note”, cemented Fidel as an authority in his city. In 2018, The Baltimore Sun honored Fidel in its heralded ‘Best of Baltimore’ issue for his courage, innovative thinking, and leadership in local schools and communities.

Fidel is the author of his published collections, Hummingbirds in the Trenches (2018), and Raw Wounds (2017) and the forthcoming The Anti-Racist: How to Start the Conversation and Take Action (2020). Fidel’s work has been praised by literary and civil rights giants such as Ibram X. Kendi, Eve L. Ewing, and DeRay McKesson. He received his BA in English from Virginia State University, and his MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts from the University of Baltimore. Fidel was honored with the Baltimore City 2018 Civil Rights Literary Award, Inspiring Voices award, and his bio-film Hummingbirds in The Trenches was nominated for Amazon’s 2019 All Voices Film Festival.

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