To commemorate National Day of Racial Healing, the University Libraries have invited Jewel Rodgers, Nebraska State Poet, as keynote speaker on January 20, 2026, from 3:30-5:00 p.m. in the Auditorium (LLS 102) of Love Library South. Join us after the program in Love Library’s lobby for refreshments and an opportunity to chat directly with the speaker and others. Registration is preferred but not required. This event is free and open to the campus community and the public.
Rodgers will share insights from her journey as the Nebraska State Poet, using spoken-word poetry to illuminate her experiences as an artist, former UNL student, and community builder. Through her talk, she will inspire connection, collaborative action, and the power of creativity to spark change and foster healing.
“The University Libraries host a program for the National Day of Racial Healing each year and we are excited to welcome Jewel Rodgers to our 2026 event! This is our way to start the year off being aware to actively break down barriers and facilitate trust and relationship building through dialogue across the campus and in the community,” said Charlene Maxey-Harris, associate dean of collections and resource management.
The University Libraries’ 2026 National Day of Racial Healing Program is sponsored by the Libraries Inclusive Excellence Committee following successful programming in 2024 and 2025. Beyond this program the Libraries have done a lot of racial healing work with examples including online exhibits, research and publications.
Launched in 2017, the National Day of Racial Healing provides an opportunity for all people to come together to heal from the effects of racism. The common goal is to build a more just and equitable world through speaking openly about past wrongs and negative impacts created by individual and systemic racism and changing the structures that support systemic racism. National Day of Racial Healing is observed every year on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and is supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Rodgers is the 2025–2029 Nebraska State Poet and a 2025 Academy of American Poets Fellowship recipient. A three-time Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award nominee for Best Performance Poet and a three-time TEDx speaker, she has toured nationally for over a decade, performing in schools, festivals, conferences, and public spaces. Her work has appeared in projects such as 100 Years | 100 Women (Park Avenue Armory – NY) and as a finalist in the 2024 Blackberry Peach Poetry Slam. An interdisciplinary performer and spatial practitioner, Rodgers merges poetry, storytelling, and placemaking to inspire communities across Nebraska and beyond.
More details at: https://events.unl.edu/lib/2026/01/20/195031/