What is Your Oak Tree?

Salaam Green, ’13, offers poetry and peace on her first visit to the University of North Dakota campus.

Two literacy-centric events brought Birmingham, Alabama’s first poet laureate, Salaam Green, ’13, to the UND campus for the first time this summer. 

Green, who earned her master’s degree in early childhood education online from UND, read a poem she composed for the opening ceremony of the StoryWalk at the GRO.UND Learning Garden. She encouraged the audience to immerse themselves in literature and nature as they explored the garden’s sights and activities. “Come, come, come to this garden,” she read. “Come to this garden and feel full again. Come to this garden and dream again.”

The self-guided StoryWalk invites visitors to read Julie Flett’s book “We All Play” while walking the perimeter of the garden. According to Joshua Hunter, associate professor of Education, Health & Behavior, the StoryWalk is the first of its kind on a university campus.

The following day, Green was the keynote speaker at the Pages and Pathways: PreK-12 Literacy Conference, where she asked participants, “What is your oak tree?” 
Green explained that your oak tree is the place where you find peace. She shared her story: “I would sit underneath that big oak tree with my pink diary with the golden key and my big fat dog, Brownie, and I would begin to write. That oak tree was the first symbol and timeline of my life. That oak tree was the first symbol and timeline of my writing life. That oak tree was the first symbol and timeline of my poetry life because underneath that oak tree, I found my personal peace.”

...underneath that oak tree, I found my personal peace.Salaam Green 

First Visit to UND

Green, in being named poet laureate, was recognized for her contributions to literary arts and her commitment to fostering a deeper appreciation for poetry within her community. She is the founder and executive director of Alabama-based program Literary Healing Arts, with over 16 years of experience as an arts educator, healer, and community leader.

Green is a Road Scholar for the Alabama Humanities Alliance and a certified trainer for the Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation. She leads “Write to Heal” workshops, seminars that instruct individuals and organizations in using poetry, writing, and storytelling to reclaim their voices and transform their lives.

In 2018, Green helped conduct a series of “Truth Booths” during the For Freedoms public art project, guiding participants through conversations about social and environmental justice. A published author, her work has been featured in the book “Peaches the Perfect Poet” and the Alabama Arts Journal.