‘A woman who leads with her heart’: Oakland picks Nairobi Barnes as Youth Poet Laureate

A graduate of Oakland Military Institute has been named the 2023 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate by the Oakland Public Library.

Nairobi Barnes, 18, was chosen from among seven finalists and will receive a $5,000 college scholarship, the library said in a statement. Other finalists included Aniylah Dixon, Ella Gordon, Serafina Mackintosh, Isabel Park, Maya Raveneu-Bey, and Michelle Vong.