Jewel Rodgers has made history! The Omaha native has just been named Nebraska’s new poet laureate, becoming the youngest person ever to hold the title at just 27 years old—and the first African American to do so. According to KETV News, her appointment is a huge milestone for the state.
Rodgers, an accomplished poet and author, credits her parents, especially her father, Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers, for inspiring her love for poetry. She started writing in sixth grade and has been passionate about it ever since.
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen praised Rodgers for her impressive body of work, including her powerful performances at schools, conferences, and public events across Nebraska. She’s a three-time Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award nominee and has spoken at TEDx three times. Rodgers also works as a teaching artist with the Nebraska Writers Collective and has earned several accolades, including being a 2022 Union for Contemporary Art fellow and a 2023 Andy Warhol Populus Fund grantee.
As Nebraska’s Poet Laureate, Rodgers will spend the next five years traveling around the state, promoting poetry, youth engagement, and reading. She’s excited to use her platform to inspire young people and highlight the work of other Nebraska artists and writers.
Her father was there to cheer her on at the ceremony, proudly sitting front and center as she took on this new role.
