In order to celebrate the voices of young local students during Black History Month, Local 4 is working with InsideOut Literary Arts, an organization that helps Detroit’s youth build their literary and academic skills through creative writing.
InsideOut’s mission is “to inspire students to think broadly, create bravely, and share their voices with the wider world.”
Recommended Videos
Since 1995, InsideOut Literary Arts has helped over 65,000 of Detroit’s youth build their literary and academic skills through creative writing.
With initial seed funding from Bob Shaye and the Four Friends Foundation, InsideOut was founded in 1995 by former Detroit Public School teacher Dr. Terry Blackhawk. The name InsideOut was chosen by Dr. Blackhawk’s students.
As Detroit’s largest and oldest literary non-profit, InsideOut now serves more than 100 classrooms and community sites annually. Our professional writers continue to help students experiment with words and learn that each unique voice matters – that there is power in “bringing the inside out.”
Widely recognized as one of the nation’s premiere writers-in-the-schools programs, InsideOut has earned many accolades, from a feature on PBS NewsHour to a performance on the stage of the Kennedy Center.
In recognition of our ability to foster and empower authentic youth voice, the White House awarded InsideOut the highest honor in youth arts programming, the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, presented by Michelle Obama in 2009.
To read poems written by local youths in honor of Black History Month, go to our Inside Out page!