Kayden Hern, 9, brought an entire auditorium of people to their feet as he recited a poem he calls “In My Mind.” The young poet laureate shared what it’s like to be a young Black boy growing up in a post-George Floyd era.
“Black is the color of my skin, so soft, beautiful, silky, and smooth,” Kayden Hern said while reciting his poem.
Kayden Hern’s oratory is grabbing headlines after he delivered a thought-provoking poem on race during the New York governor’s Jan. 1 inauguration.
Kayden Hern is being raised by his grandmother, Jacqueline Hern, in Harlem, New York. She helped him discover his love of poetry which ultimately landed him a marquee spot during Kathy Hochul’s inauguration ceremony.
“Everything he does, his nana is there with him supporting him 125 percent,” Jacqueline Hern said.
Following the murder of George Floyd, streets were flooded with people protesting police brutality and racism. Kayden Hern was trying to wrap his young mind around what was happening.
“We were just expressing ourselves watching the news and everything going on in the world,” Jacqueline Hern said.
Attempting to channel his curious mind, Jacqueline Hern told her grandson to write his questions down, and she would answer them. Little did she know her innocuous writing assignment on racism would unleash an expressive side of Kayden she never knew existed.
“It made me feel bad, and I wanted to make a change,” Kayden Hern said.
Kayden Hern’s inquisitive mind poured into a rhythm, and the words began to rhyme as his poetic talents began to flourish. Jacqueline Hern says although she helps with some of Kayden’s content, most of what he writes comes from him. His grandmother says he incorporates elements from Black history and social justice he learned at home and school into his writings.
“My favorite part about being a poet is expressing yourself through words,” Kayden Hern said.
“I think of new poems I want to write, and if certain poems don’t sound right, I just think of another one,” he continued.
Jacqueline Hern took notice of her grandson’s interest in poetry. She started taking him to Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater on occasion to expose him to the world of poetry on a bigger stage.
