Black History Month was celebrated in Altadena on February 28 with a poetry reading at Loma Alta Park that brought together prominent poets, emerging young writers, and members of the community. The gathering honored the voices of black writers while demonstrating how poetry can unite people through shared history, memory, and lived experience.

The program featured readings by Dorothy Randall Gray, Hazel Clayton Harrison, V. Kali, Lynne Thompson, Conney Williams, Pam Ward and Pasadena Village member Beverly Lafontaine as well as emerging poets from John Muir High School, Micaela Collins and Mariah Tillman, who represent the next generation of writers.

The purpose of the afternoon was to celebrate Black History Month by recognizing writers whose words continue to illuminate the Black experience in America. The event also paid tribute to the legacy of S. Pearl Sharp, Los Angeles filmmaker, poet, and cultural activist whose work encouraged Black storytelling and artistic collaboration. Many of the poets who participated in the reading had been inspired by Sharp’s dedication to community arts and creative expression.

Reflecting on the gathering, Beverly Lafontaine described poets as travelers who periodically meet along a shared journey. “Poets are not so different from a gaggle of geese who meet on some calm lake during a journey necessitated by nature’s wild call,” she said. “We noisily greet each other with the new, revel in memories shared, praise the departed, then we all resume our journey to the golden balm of solitude that is our nesting home.”

The setting—a multipurpose room at Loma Alta Park—was simple, but the readings quickly transformed the space into something more reflective and communal. Poets shared work that explored history, identity, resilience, and the deeply personal moments that shape individual lives.

One of the most powerful moments came when Lafontaine read a poem she wrote about the death of George Floyd. She read:

May 25, 2020

by Beverly Lafontaine

Every morning begins in shadow.

Outside light slithers in, reshaping

chair, dresser, table

into childhood memories gauzy

with years of neglect.

Life is a busy thing.

If not the waning love,

then the stumbling child.

If not the failing body,

then the forgotten promise.

If not the fading dream,

then the lie revealed.

Today we all witnessed

the death of a man,

his pleas, his struggles,

his body’s attempt

to survive,

to breathe.

-In memory of George Floyd, born October 14, 1973.

The quiet intensity of the poem held the room in silence after the final word. It was a reminder that poetry can capture moments of collective grief while giving language to emotions many people struggle to express.

Villager Maureen Kellen-Taylor reflected on the impact of the event, noting that poetry helps people better understand the world around them and one another. She observed that the gathering of poets “transformed the unremarkable classroom into a monument to a deeply shared experience that strengthened the ties of community.”

After the featured poets completed their readings, the program continued with an open mic. Community members stepped forward to share their own poems, demonstrating the depth of literary talent in Pasadena and Altadena. Lafontaine welcomed that moment of shared creativity. “Wonderfully, after the featured poets spoke, the afternoon proceeded with an open-mic that – to no one’s surprise – reminded us of the wealth of talent among the residents of Pasadena and Altadena,” she said. “Bravo, Altadena Poets Laureate for a job well done.”

By the end of the afternoon, the purpose of the gathering felt fully realized. The event honored Black History Month while celebrating the voices of poets whose words continue to shape the cultural life of the community.

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