Melida Rodas Named Jersey City Poet Laureate

Melida Rodas has been named Jersey City’s new Poet Laureate, a two-year role designed to promote poetry and community engagement. Mayor Steven Fulop and the Jersey City Arts Council (JCAC) announced her appointment, which includes hosting workshops, readings, and collaborations with local organizations.

The Poet Laureate position, created by the City Council in 2018, includes an annual honorarium of $3,000. The role is designed to promote the appreciation of poetry and its role in the community. A panel, including former laureates and JCAC board members, reviewed applications to select the candidate based on poetry portfolio, community impact, and performance experience.

“We are proud to honor Melida Rodas,” said Mayor Fulop. “Through their work, Melida will inspire, unite, and amplify the voices that make our city so diverse.”

Rodas, co-founder of Greenville Arts Crossroads and a 2023 Jersey City Woman of Action, has a long history of community engagement. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity, saying, “Thank you on behalf of those who are still struggling for their voices to be heard—let us remember them, let us help them.”

Her work as an educator and advocate for creative expression further distinguished her during the JCAC’s selection process, which focused on applicants’ community impact and poetry experience.

Rodas aims to expand access to poetry and continue fostering creativity throughout Jersey City.