Jillian Hanesworth Improves Literacy in Buffalo

It takes hours of hard work to become an overnight success. Word to the wise: it takes 10 years for anyone to really start seeing results. No one exemplifies this better than Buffalo’s first poet laureate, Jillian Hanesworth. Recently, she won an Emmy for her poetry efforts working with the Buffalo Bills.

Before he began working with the Bills, Hanesworth dedicated countless hours to overcoming struggle and seeking his truth. Born and raised in Buffalo, Hanesworth grew up in an artistic community where all walks of life played their part in preserving art for generations to come.

Hanesworth’s approach to art offers a humble and refreshing perspective. In the grand scheme of things, she considers herself A voice no THE voice. His voice is important in that it also amplifies those of those around him.

“You don’t have to be a famous artist to be an artist.”

-Jillian Hanesworth

Perhaps this humility and sacrifice towards her craft is why more and more people are starting to hear about this phenomenal woman. Her strong dedication to uplifting those in need of knowledge without feeling any sense of entitlement is the perfect balance for this creative artist.

Purpose and passion

Hanesworth’s multidimensional approach to art, activism, and advocacy makes her an incredible agent of social change. She reinvents justice with poetry and timely protests – she doesn’t wear a crown or ride on high horses – she sees these actions as the service she owes to her community.

Hanesworth proves that the art of traditional storytelling is so important. Hanesworth shares his story as an artist so well. Buffalo’s first poet laureate and a familiar face to those suffering from Buffalo’s tragedies, Hanesworth decided to make a difference in her community.

As the founder of Literary Freedom, she hosted pop-up bookstores in conjunction with her Buffalo Books program. Initially, she embarked on a mission to Buffalo to increase the literacy rate of young scholars in her community.

She put a plan in place and aimed to raise $10,000 to revitalize 10 libraries. Shortly after launching GoFundMe, KeyBank in Buffalo achieved its fundraising goal of revamping some Buffalo libraries by placing local art on the walls and local authors on the shelves.

Grind, don’t stop

As she put her nose to the grindstone and continued to do the Lord’s work, people began to notice her efforts. Shortly after the racially motivated shooting at Tops in Buffalo, the Bills asked Hanesworth if she could create something to help people heal.

As life progresses, Hanesworth continues to find himself in situations ripe for lasting change. Those who set out to accomplish something greater than themselves will ultimately find reward. From the start, this woman set her sights on improving community literacy and from there, she worked with several notable organizations that gave her a means to convey her message.

“His poetry accomplishes what no politician can.”

RD Pohl

Hanesworth entered the art space with the right mindset and acted in accordance with her mission. Once people start showing interest in your art, it’s no longer just about you. Once your art and story comes to life, you need to make sure you continue to emphasize why you started.