Velvet Poetry

To be named Best in Literary Arts by Chattanooga Business Elite at the Black Excellence Awards in 2025 and 2026 is something I don’t take lightly.

I have been nominated every year since the awards began in 2020 and that alone feels like an embrace from my city.

But to win, back to back, feels like affirmation from a community that sees me.
It feels amazing to be acknowledged for the art I create.
The words. The rooms. The moments. The intention.
I am deeply humbled by the love and support.

Thank you to everyone who reads the poems, books the shows, sits in the audience, shares my name in rooms I’m not in, and believes in the work.
This isn’t just a win for mE it’s a win for literary arts, for poetry, for creative risk, and for every Black storyteller building something beautiful.
Grateful. Grounded. Growing.
Erika Roberts 🖤