Rhonda Welsh - bio

Rhonda's soulful delivery and thought-provoking topics are always sure to inspire and entertain audiences. A regular on the arts and culture scene, she is equally comfortable in front of small and large audiences. Deeply influenced by Langston Hughes, Phoebe Snow, and Gil Scott-Heron, she approaches poetry the way musicians approach music. "My poetry is meant to be heard. I always think about the rhythm and the flow of the words. That is as important to me as the message," she says. The only poet asked to perform during the Detroit Institute of Arts Re-opening ceremonies, her two-week retrospective of African and African-American poetry was a "must-see" during the donor and the community opening festivities. She has been featured at numerous other metro Detroit venues including the Virgil H. Carr Center for Cultural Arts, the Detroit Opera House, the Scarab Club, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Campus Martius, Wayne State University, the Ford Performing and Community Arts Center, College for Creative Studies, Southfield Public Library, and Marygrove College. And, like many poets, she has performed in countless coffee houses and gallery spaces throughout the Detroit area; nationwide in venues from NYC to LA and internationally as an author at the Windsor Book Fair and the Quebec Writers' Federation Retreat. A native Detroiter with a B.A. in English and a M.A. in Public Relations and Organizational Communications, she self-produced her debut CD, I Saw Myself. During Summer 2010, she launched her company Crimson Kairos. The first project was the release of her debut poetry collection, Red Clay Legacy. This effort was met with glowing reviews including a particularly moving one from one of her poetic inspirations, Nikki Giovanni, "Rhonda Welsh offers us a poetic view of the strength and beauty of the people of Red Clay -- true Earth -- the beginning. Whether a love poem or a question of giving, this poet steps up to the plate, hitting a home run! We welcome this voice to the poetic discourse." Following the release of the book, Crimson Kairos released her second recording, Raw Clay in Winter 2011. This collaboration fuses music and poetry and is available digitally. Because of her passion for literacy, she founded the event Free Verse. The first event held to honor Dr. Martin Luther King's Jr.'s life and legacy proved to be an instant community favorite that raised much needed funds, volunteers and book donations to help combat metro Detroit's low literacy levels. This passion for literacy was a natural progression from her work as an educator. She taught the Creative Writing component of Wayne State University's award-winning Math Corps program and was a Writer-in-Residence with the nationally renowned Inside Out Literary Arts Project. Rhonda resides in metro Detroit.
Free Verse
Red Clay Legacy Readings w/Singer-Songwriter Kevin Sandbloom w/Detroit Councilperson James Tate w/Poet & Publisher jessica Care moore
Poets @ The Opera House w/poets Diamond Dancer & Ber-Henda Williams w/the incomparable Anca Vlasopolos w/Detroit poetry icon, M.L. Liebler "We're your Dream Girls..."
DIA Re-Opening DIA Re-Opening Photo courtesy of Thomas B. Richardson DIA Re-Opening Photo courtesy of Thomas B. Richardson w/my mommy, sisters and nephew at the DIA Re-Opening Photo courtesy of Thomas B. Richardson DIA Re-Opening Photo courtesy of Thomas B. Richardson
On-Air with Real Life, Real Authority In the studio at Real Life, Real Authority Hanging out with Kwame the Producer In the studio at Real Life, Real Authority Pastors Corey & Kristen Kennard, hosts of Real Life, Real Authority
Praise Power 2006 Praise Power 2006 Photo courtesy of NittyGritty Productions Praise Power 2006 Photo courtesy of NittyGritty Productions w/Vincent Yarborough at Praise Power 2006 Photo courtesy of NittyGritty Productions Praise Power 2006 Photo courtesy of NittyGritty Productions
4th Fridays with Rufus Harris October 2007 Photo courtesy of 4th Fridays with Rufus Harris March 2007 Photo courtesy of 4th Fridays with Rufus Harris August 2005 Photo courtesy of 4th Fridays with Rufus Harris October 2004 Photo courtesy of 4th Fridays with Rufus Harris
Various Events 2009 James Tate Poetry Meet & Greet w/Marsha Carter, Ber-henda Williams, Councilman James Tate and Nutrena Tate 2009 Bagley Poetry Gala w/Joel "Fluent" Greene 2009 Sisters, Stilettos & Scribes w/Cheryl L.R. Taylor, Ber-henda Williams and Tc Nicole 2009 Eclectics Mobile Galleria 2009 Sole Sisters: Women of the World Poetry Slam Fundraiser w/Cassie Poe,Nic Wells and Ber-henda Williams 2009 MLK Celebration w/Pastor Corey Kennard 2009 Detroit Artists' Market 2009 The Beat Cafe w/Matt Vega 2008 African World Festival 2008 W/Gail Catron, owner of Kirabo Fair Trade Store and my mommy at the Haslett Community Church Cultural Coffee House The CAMP (Christian Artists and Music Project) Storytellers 2007 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration 2008
Misc w/former President Bill Clinton w/the late Ossie Davis w/Nikki Giovanni w/Cuban Soul Rocker Alex Cuba w/jazz vocalist Kurt Elling w/Carmen Harlan w/Ed Gordon w/former Detroit Lion Robert Porcher