Poet, scholar, educator. President @MellonFdn. Author of THE TRAYVON GENERATION and THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Co-worker in the kingdom of culture. Views my own.
Joined January 2012
- Tweets 5,926
- Following 654
- Followers 19,078
- Likes 7,477
134 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
6 Aug 2022
My beloved father Clifford Alexander joined the ancestors on July 3, and I’ve been reflecting on his 88-year life of love and service.
washingtonpost.com/obituarie…
56
55
461
According to a recent study, reading for pleasure has fallen by 40% in the last 20 years, continuing a long-running downward trend. By many measures, reading skills for both students and adults continue to fall. Jeffrey Brown spoke with Elizabeth Alexander of the Mellon Foundation about a new effort to boost the world of words. to.pbs.org/3NfW4fX
11
94
196
9,698
29 Dec 2025
She Sold a Painting for $165 Million and Gave It All Away - The New York Times nytimes.com/interactive/2025…
1
3
342
Dr. Elizabeth Alexander retweeted
6 Apr 2025
The grandmother, the mermaid, and the soul – poet Elizabeth Alexander on how literature broadens the landscape of the possible themarginalian.org/2022/06/1…
4
7
15
7,282
Elizabeth Alexander explains why jazz music must be preserved
time.com/7273135/preserving-…
9
16
56
58,360
Dr. Elizabeth Alexander retweeted
'Jericho Brown joins Kevin Young to read “When,” by Elizabeth Alexander, and his own “Colosseum.” Brown’s collection “The Tradition” won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry (2022). He’s a 2024 MacArthur Fellow and a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets
newyorker.com/podcast/poetry…
3
4
15
3,111
Dr. Elizabeth Alexander retweeted
9 Feb 2025
"Words are events, they do things, change things. They transform both speaker and hearer; they feed energy back and forth and amplify it. They feed understanding or emotion back and forth and amplify it."
An Ursula K. Le Guin classic: themarginalian.org/2015/10/2…
1
42
138
11,487
Dr. Elizabeth Alexander retweeted
1 Feb 2025
From our earliest days, Black history has always been American history – and Black folks have profoundly shaped our American culture through music, art, literature, sports, and beyond. One month a year is not sufficient to celebrate the power of the movements and the people who have fought for the rights we enjoy today. That’s something that we have to do each and every day, as we strive to live up to their example and make sure our children and grandchildren remember their stories.
12,395
43,567
304,485
41,410,036
20 Jan 2025
A Poet’s Tale from Obama’s First Inaugural | The New Yorker.
Sixteen years ago. newyorker.com/culture/cultur…
3
1
8
597
Dr. Elizabeth Alexander retweeted
20 Jan 2025
@CecileRichards believed in women, believed in @19thnews and believed in me in a way that changed the course of my life — and so many others. I am heartbroken, but channeling every ounce of her spirit. Sending so much love to her amazing family.
19thnews.org/2025/01/cecile-…
2
9
541
20 Jan 2025
Weekly Poem: Elizabeth Alexander honors MLK Day with stories of the black experience | PBS News. Some reflections and poems from Dr.. King day in 2014 that I hope endure today. pbs.org/newshour/arts/poetry…
2
4
13
906
16 Jan 2025
This is so, so, so, so GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!
15 Jan 2025
A few years ago, @FluentMundo wrote the definitive profile of @sanbenito. Now she's written the definitive review of his new album, with the kind of prose that makes anyone else trying to write about Puerto Rico—or about anything—feel wholly inadequate. npr.org/2025/01/15/g-s1-4265…
1
1
4
1,116
Dr. Elizabeth Alexander retweeted
18 Nov 2024
At 13, Eddie Palmieri became the timbalero in his uncle’s band. He dropped out of junior high and devoted himself to music, dragging his drums to gigs all over the Bronx. “I was just a wild stallion at that time,” he told @FluentMundo, laughing. nyer.cm/a3VAUTL
1
5
18
28,302
17 Nov 2024
History and 🔥🔥🔥🔥!
17 Nov 2024
For my New Yorker debut (and the magazine's first feature about salsa!) I profiled my all-time favorite Nuyorican musician Eddie Palmieri. Featuring comments from Rubén Blades, Spike Lee, iLé, & more, we all agree... he's the GOAT: newyorker.com/culture/person…
5
13
2,028
4 Nov 2024
One of Chicago’s oldest public art pieces is saved, thanks to arts grant uniondemocrat.com/lifestyle/… via @uniondemocrat
2
10
772
Dr. Elizabeth Alexander retweeted
1 Nov 2024
Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from making your voice heard in this election. If you have any questions or concerns, call a voter protection hotline. These folks are standing by to make sure your vote is counted. So make sure you vote! votesaveamerica.com
6,671
19,564
66,849
17,334,792
20 Oct 2024
1
558
12 Sep 2024
THIS THIS THIS!!!!!!
12 Sep 2024
The trailer for “Luther: Never Too Much,” a new documentary on the life of the late Luther Vandross, is out:
11
1,090
17 Jul 2024
8
565