Who We Are
We are a southern-based vanguard who builds Harlem Renaissance-style spaces in the contemporary South.
Our core purpose is to cultivate and inspire kinship between poets of color from all spoken and written traditions, thus creating a tribe with a mutual focus of poetics and craft-building.
HISTORY
The Watering Hole was created as a Facebook Group by fellows of the Cave Canem South Workshops from 2009 and 2010.
We draw much of our inspiration from those three-day workshops, which were hosted by Dr. Kwame Dawes, editor of Prairie Schooner. The sessions were led by Nikky Finney, a National Book Award winner; Patricia Smith, who was inducted into the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent, and Frank X Walker, co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets.
We hosted our first retreat in 2013, launched the organization in 2014, and became a nonprofit in 2015.
CO-FOUNDERS
Monifa Lemons
Co-Founder
Also recognized as SelahthePoet, Monifa Lemons began in Columbia, SC in the late 90s. Both Spoken Word Artist and Host at various venues since 1998, Monifa is committed to nurturing the journey of artists from all disciplines. She also facilitates workshops on writing and intentional creation. Her work can be found in Sinister Wisdom ( The African American Review (July 2016) and African Voices (Winter/Spring 16/17). She is currently writing plays and non-fiction projects while cultivating short stories for her first manuscript.
Candace G. Wiley
Co-Founder
Candace G. Wiley was born in S.C., graduated with her B.A. from Bowie State University, an H.B.C.U. in M.D., her M.A. from Clemson University, and her M.F.A. at the University of South Carolina as a James Dickey Fellow. She is co-founding director of The Watering Hole, a nonprofit that creates Harlem Renaissance-style spaces in the contemporary South, and she often writes in the mode of Afrofuturism, covering topics from black aliens, to mutants, to mermaids. She is a Vermont Studio Center Fellow, Lighthouse Works Center Fellow, Fine Arts Work Center Fellow, Callaloo Fellow and former Fulbright Fellow to San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia, a town that was founded by West Africans who had escaped from Cartagena slavery. (The people have their own language and customs that trace back to the Bantu and Kikongo in West Africa.) She is currently complete the Tulsa Artist Fellowship and is now living, writing, and running The Watering Hole from Tulsa, O.K.
TEAM
Board of Directors
Dasan Ahanu, Chair
Joyce Rose-Harris, Vice Chair
Angelo “Eyeambic” T. Geter
Jevertus Burnett, Treasurer
Kayla Mallett, Secretary
Terrance Hayes
Volunteer Staff
Tanisha Hall, Administrative Assistant and Winter Retreat Coordinator
teri elam, Human Resources
Wendy Jones, Slam Coordinator
Grad. Fellows Board
Nicholas Nichols, Chair
Anna K. Stone, Website Consultant
Christopher Greggs, E-mail and Website Content Strategist
I.S. Jones, Social Media Content Strategist
Jennifer Bartell, Anthology Editor
Julian Randall, Anthology Editor
John S. Blake, Facilitator Invitations
Kirwyn Sutherland, Data Management
teri elam, Anthology Editor
Submission Readers
Amber Flame
Amoja “Mo Man” Sumler
Ashley Harris
Catherine Ntube
Camisha Jones
Dustin Pearson
DaMaris Hill
Gia Shakur
Grace Liew
Jennifer Bartell
John Blake
K.N. Marshall
Maya Marshall
Michelle Reese
Nadia Alexis
Nkosi Nkululeko
Noel Quiñones
Noor Jaber
Robert E. Randolph
Safiya Washington
Fellows and Graduate Fellows
Adeyinka Ogunlegan
Aerik Francis
afaq
Ajanae Dawkins
Akinfe Fatou
Akosua Afiriyie-Hwedie
Alexa Patrick
Alexandria Collins
Alison Rollins
Amari Tia Davis
Amber Flame
Amena Brown (Sol Grafitti)
Amina Iro
Amoja Sumler
Amoni Thompson
Anna Stone
Anais Booker
Angel Dye
Angela Brown
Angelique Palmer
Angie Garcia
Anna Stone
Anthony Ragler
April Gibson
April Lim
April Wright
Ariana Francesca Thomas
Ashia Ajani
Ashley Beene
Ashley Harris
Asia Bryant-Wilkerson
Asiah Mae
Asiah Thomas
Asma Olajuwon
Aurielle Lucier
Ayling Dominguez
Azia Armstead
Bernardo Wade
Breana Miller
Brittany Porcher
Brittany Rogers
C.R. Glasgow
Cai Shirley
Calvin Walds
Cameron Awkward-Rich
Cameron Brooks
Cameron Mitchell
Camisha Jones
Candace Howze
Carlynn Newhouse
Carmen Barefield
Catalina Rios-Hernandez
Carmin Wong
Catherine Ntube
Chantel Massey
Chasity Gunn
Charleen McClure
Chauncey Beaty
Ching-In Chen
Christine Jean Blain
Christopher Greggs
Clarity Levine
Clemonce Heard
Constance Collier-Mercado
Courtney Gambrell
Crystal Irby
Cynthia Sharpe
DaMaris B. Hill
Daniella Toosie-Watson
Danielle Williams
Daniel Summerhill
Darlene Scott
Darrian Thomas
Daschielle Louis
Dāshaun Washington
David Gaines
de’Angelo Dia
DeeSoul Carson
Denise Chapman
Denise Irving
Destiny Nicholson
Deyon Williams
Divya Chhabra
D’mani Thomas
Donald Paris
Dustin Pearson
Ebony Chinn
Edra “EJ” Stephens
Edward Mabrey
Edythe Rodriguez
El Williams III
Elise Hernandez
EJ Stephens
Elizabeth Mudenyo
Elontra Hall
Emanuelee Bean
Emmanuel Smith
Ephraim Nehemiah
Er Ni Kaya Arnoux
Eric Thompson
Eric Thompson
February Spikener
Felecia Stokes
Fernanda Snellings
Frances Nan
Francine Tamakloe
Gabby Aboki
Gabriel Ramirez
Gabrielle Aboki
Geoffrey Anderson
George Abraham
Gia Shakur
Goddess X
Grace Liew
Grace Ocasio
Haley Carr (Shy)
Hana Meron
Hakim Bellamy
Hazem Fahmy
Hilda Davis
Hiwot Adilaw
Honey Sanaa
Honora Ankong
India Hackle
Isabelle Saldaña
Itiola Jones
J.C. Rodriguez
Jada Bryan
Jae Nichelle
Jamal Jones
Jamal Parker
James Daniels
Janel Cloyd
Jasmine Combs
Jasmine Swanagan
Jason Harris
Jassmine Parks
Jay Ward
Jaz Sufi
Jemilea Wisdom-Baako
Jenna Carter-Johnson
Jennifer Bartell Boykin
Jennifer Shannon
Jo Reyes-Boitel
Joan Leslie
Jody Chan
Joel Diaz
Joelle Edouard
John Blake
Johnny Lee Chapman
Jon Jon Moore Palacios
Jordan Bailey
Jordan Honeyblue
Joshua Myers
Jovan O’Neal
Joy Priest
Joyce Rose-Harris
Julian Randall
Junious Ward
KB Brookins
Kahlil Hernandez
Kamakshi Duvvuru
Kat Noel
Kavindu Jointe
Keesean Moore
Kenneth Carroll
Khadijah Ali-Coleman
Khalisa Rae
Khalisa Thompson
Khari Dawson
Kiki Nicole
Kim “Kita” Marshall
Kimberly Reyes
Kindall Gant
Kirwyn Sutherland
Kita Marshall
L Renee
Lauren Bullock
Lauren Parker
LeChell Honorat
Lee Chapman
Len Lawson
Leslie McIntosh
Linda Cue
Lindsay Young
Lisbeth White
Lolita Stewart-White
Lorraine Currelley
Lupita Eyde-Tucker
Lydia Abedeen
lydia cortes
M’Bilia Meekers
Madison El Maze Johnson
Maiya Pittman
Malcolm Avery Robinson
Malcolm Tariq
Malvika Jolly
Marcus Jamison
Maria Picone
Mariah Monsanto
Mariana Goycoechea
Marlanda Dekine
Marvin Campbell
Matthew Taylor
Maurisa Li-A-Ping
Maya Lewis
Maya Williams
McKendy Fils-Aime
Michele Reese
Michelle Dodd
Maurice Norman
Maya Garcia Fisher
Maya James
Maya Marshall
Maya Williams
Mia Willis
Michele Reese
Michelle Dodd
Miona Short
Monica Kim
Nadia Alexis
Nancy Huang
Nefertiti Asanti
Nicholas Alexander
Nicholas Nichols
Nicole Homer
Nicole Moliere
Nikki Gray
Nkosi Nkululeko
Noel Quiñones
Noor Ibn Najam
Noor Jaber
Penda Smith
Porscha Simmons
Portia Bartley
Robert Gibson
Robert Randolph
Rocio Franco
Rodrick Minor
Romaine Washington
Roman Johnson
Roscoe Burnems
Sadia Hassan
Safiya Washington
Saida Agostini
Sainey Ceesay
Samantha Lorient
Samantha Major
Samantha Stevens
Samuel Tate
Sanam Sheriff
Sasha Warner-Berry
Saul Hernandez
Sequoia Maner
Shakeema Smalls
Shalewa Mackall
Shalini Singh
Shameka Cunningham
Shauna Morgan Kirlew
Shavontae Patrick
Sha’Condria “iCon” Sibley
Sheila Stowell
Shirley Jones-Luke
Solange Neema
Stephanie Irby Suell
Tamara J. Madison
Tammaka Staley
Tangela Mitchell
Tanisha Hall
Tariq Luthun
Tariq Thompson
Tavis Brunson
Taylor Manigoult
Teri Elam
Teri Vela
Tianna Bratcher
Tiffany Mi
Timothy Edwaujonte
Timothy “Urban Thoughts” Moore
Timothy Prolific Veit Jones
ToVonnia “Blacqwildflowr” Lewis
Tolu Agbelusi
Tresa Green
Tunya Gray
Tyquan Morton
Usman Hameedi
Victoria Ford
Victoria Walls
Wandeka Gayle
Warren Longmire
Whitney French
William Evans
Willie Kinard III
Xavia Miles
Yazud Brito-Milian
Yeva Johnson
Yinka Olu
Yuki Jackson
Yvette R. Murray