Ameerah Shabazz
Ameerah Shabazz-Bilal is an award-winning poet, visual artist, photographer, published illustrator, educator, and cultural advocate from Newark, NJ. She received the 2024 EvoluCulture Women in Poetry Award for Service to the Poetry Community, the Maria Mazziotti Gillan Literary Service Award, and the Every Kinda Lady ‘Her Story’ Award for Poetry. Ameerah is a member of the Academy of American Poets and focuses on fostering artistic expression and cultural exchange.
She has performed at prestigious events such as The Dodge Poetry Festival, North 2 Shore Poetry Festival, The Hamilton Arts Festival, and The Atlantic City Poetry Festival. Internationally, she has performed in Cuba at El Jelengue Hall and in Lagos, Nigeria, at the International LIPFest Poetry Festival. She has also performed at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC) and in productions like Brown, Black, and Blues (2023).
As a teaching artist for NJPAC, Ameerah has mentored students, publishing over 400 student poets. She is the founder and host of When Women Speak, an international platform for women poets and creatives. Ameerah is the author of Breathing Through Concrete, Whisper Whisper Shout, and the When Women Speak Anthology, with her work featured in publications such as Soul Spaces, PEPSI Poetry Anthology, LAWR - When Women Speak Edition, and SOUP CAN Magazine.
Ameerah combines visual arts with poetry to create immersive storytelling experiences. Her photography and illustrations capture narratives of resilience, identity, and cultural heritage. Her work has been showcased across the Tri-State area and internationally, including as an exhibitor in the Cuba 2024 Biennial Arts Festival at Casa De África in Havana, Cuba. She continues to inspire global audiences through her art, poetry, and advocacy.
She also serves on the ARTPride-NJ Independent Advisory Committee, advocating for the arts in education, tourism, and community development.
