Salome Agbaroji

Salome Agbaroji is a Nigerian-American poet, performer and activist. She is the 7th National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States for 2023-2024 -- and the first African with this title. Through her poetry, Agbaroji pushes for social change and community action, focusing on themes of racism, oppression and inclusion as well as femininity, Christianity, home and family.

Agbaroji, who was selected as Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate in 2022, continues her fight against educational inequity and illiteracy, aiming to ensure that all people have access to the power that lies within their voice and words. She has showcased her spoken word poetry on prominent stages, including performances for the Golden Globes pre-show and the NFL's Rams halftime show; as an opening act on Rupi Kaur's World Tour; and in front of audiences including the likes of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Black Lives Matter founder Patrisse Cullors, and Mrs. Tina Lawson.

Agbaroji was a YoungArts winner in Spoken Word and has been honored with awards such as the Scholastic Arts and Writing Award, among many others. A Harvard University undergraduate studying government and political science, her focuses outside of poetry are civic engagement and advocacy about issues such as racism towards minority communities, immigrant stories, injustices in the international community, and more.

Agbaroji works with Get Lit - Words Ignite, a Los Angeles-based organization that aims to combat illiteracy and educational inequity in teens. She is also a brand ambassador for Vans global campaign.