Award-winning poet helps launch this year’s Roswell Roots

ROSWELL, Ga. - When it comes to the art of the spoken word, few voices are as influential as that of Ashlee Haze. 

The Georgia State University graduate is known as one of the best competitors on the poetry slam circuit, consistently winning top honors and gaining notice from icons including Missy Elliott. And later this month, audiences in Metro Atlanta will have another chance to find out why Ashlee Haze has become such a sought-after creative talent.

The City of Roswell will kick off its Black History Month programming with "Lyrics and Lyre: An Evening of Poetry and Music," happening Sunday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center. Produced by Haze and her Philosophy Media Group, the event will feature a unique fusion of spoken word and music, with poets including Adán Bean, Mia Willis, and Jon Goode accompanied by Okorie "OkCello" Johnson on cello, Rayn on harp, Téja Veal on bass, and Carey Durham on violin. Tickets for the one-night-only performance are $18, and are on-sale now (click here for more information).

Roswell’s Black History Month celebration is known as Roswell Roots, and features more than 20 events and programs throughout the month of February. Produced by the city’s Recreation, Parks, Historic & Cultural Affairs Department, this year’s lineup also includes performances of "The Spirit of Harriet Tubman" (written and performed by Leslie McCurdy) and the Black Opry Revue.

For more information on this year’s Roswell Roots, click here. And click the video player in this article to check out our exclusive preview of "Lyrics and Lyre: An Evening of Poetry and Music" with Ashlee Haze and her fellow artists.