“April is National Poetry Month, as well as Dallas Arts Month,” said Mayor Eric L. Johnson during the presentation. “This month, I call upon civic leaders, educators, librarians and all the people of Dallas to celebrate the cultural riches of our community, including our new Dallas Poet Laureates.” 

During his two-year term, Woods will serve as an ambassador for the literary arts, presenting original works at community events and developing outreach initiatives that inspire Dallas residents to read, write and perform poetry. He will also host regular artist-in-residence office hours at the Central Library, offering opportunities for community members to engage with him directly. 

A Mississippi native now based in Dallas, Woods brings a dynamic background in performance arts to his new role. He is widely recognized for his Emmy Award-winning performances with the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. In addition to poetry, Woods is also an author, teacher and filmmaker, with a passion for uplifting underrepresented voices through creative expression. 

Cadence Diggs will serve a one-year term as Youth Poet Laureate, working alongside the Dallas Poet Laureate to promote poetry among young people across the city. An 11th-grader at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Diggs is the founder and president of the Pegasi Poetry Society, a creative writing and literary organization for her fellow students. She is passionate about cultivating spaces where young people can grow into their fullest potential. 

The Dallas Poet Laureate program was launched in June 2021 by Dallas Public Library, the Office of Arts and Culture and Deep Vellum to recognize exemplary poets and elevate the role of poetry in the community. The program is funded in part by the Friends of the Dallas Public Library, Inc. and the Joe M. and Doris R. Dealey Family Foundation. For more information, visit www.dallaslibrary.org/poetry.