b'Cydney Brown, Philadelphias Youth Poet LaureateCydney Brown was interviewed by reporters on the staff of the DePaul Healthy Trailblazer Journal. Illustration by Evah Mitchell-Ross, fifth grade,Responses have been edited and condensed.Highland Elementary School contributing artist What topic is most important for you to write about? Why? I write about anything I am feeling. Over the I love telling parts of African American history,summer, Black Lives Ms. Cline-Ransome said. Im motivated by theMatter and police idea that youre creating stories that people canbrutality were heavy connect to or see themselves in or someone on my mind. During elses life in, realizing the ways in which were the pandemic, I have all very similar.reflected on different things. When an issue Writing about historic figures demonstrates thator something is important to me, I have to write we have this very rich history of people who haveabout my thoughts.always fought very hard for education and justiceHow is poetry helping you get throughand equality. And I want to make sure those sto- the pandemic? ries are told.Its really helped me a lot. Sometimes, I wont be By Ivory Rowell, Jenna Dominguez, able to talk to my family because everyone is busy and Makayla Vargas with work or school. I write. If I can get it down on William Cramp Fit Flyer paper, I can better articulate my thoughts and I better understand what I am going through.44'