“It may seem crazy but poetry can save lives and if spoken word can saves souls then why don’t more youth know that they can put down nines and pick up poetry lines”.
Meet Patrice Hill
Patrice Hill is a poet, public speaker, youth advocate, host, curator and community-based educator who has over two decades of experience teaching in urban, suburban and exurban classrooms and writing and performing spoken word poetry. Born and raised in Fresno, CA., Patrice uses her background as an urban, inner-city, public school educated student to develop curriculum that is culturally relevant and meaningful to the lives of young people.
While studying Pan-African Studies at CSU Sacramento, Patrice made a personal commitment to focus her personal and professional work on serving the youth of her community. She began her career as a TA for several Ethnic Studies Professors at CSUS, which eventually landed her the opportunity to instruct an independent intro class for the inaugural African American Learning Community. After teaching for a full year at CSUS, Patrice then began teaching at Sierra School, a private alternative school for students with learning and emotional disabilities.
As an undergrad at CSUS she was exposed to the Sacramento poetry scene through The Suga Shack poetry series ran by local Sacramento poet and author, Sean King. As a young student, activist, and promoter, Ms. Hill found her poetic voice while attending the Mahogany Urban Poetry Series weekly open mic. It was at Mahogany where Hill's poetry career really began. As a young poet, she had the opportunity to be mentored by amazing poets including Angela Boyce (RIP), Ifa Modupe, Cleo Cartel, Khiry Malik, Taalam Acey, among others.
Ms. Hill has performed extensively throughout California as a member of the infamous Supercaliflowlinguistics poetry group. Ms. Hill was a member of the 2003 and 2004 Sacramento National Poetry Slam team, which not only competed nationally but also won the Battle of the Bay Poetry Slam Competition. In addition, Ms. Hill founded and hosted the weekly open mic venue TalkBack Tuesdays for several years with Rodzilla the Blackademic. As a poet and writer, Hill has evolved into a community-based educator, working directly with youth and teachers inside classrooms using spoken word poetry and writing as a tool to engage, educate, transform and heal.
Patrice currently serves as the Director for Sacramento Area Youth Speaks (SAYS). Founded in 2009 at UC Davis, SAYS strives to change the world through education and empowerment. Building on a foundation of critical literacy and spoken word performance poetry, SAYS breaks the chains of underachievement by elevating the voices of young people and creating spaces for students to become authors of their own lives and agents of change.
Patrice specializes in providing direct service to students, developing culturally relevant curriculum as well as developing and facilitating teacher/youth practitioner professional development trainings. In her current role at SAYS, Patrice has had the opportunity to travel extensively around the nation demonstrating the effectiveness of using spoken word performance poetry inside classrooms to deeply engage students, foster safe student-centered writing spaces, while aligning culturally relevant curriculum to meet Common Core State Standards. SAYS has recently been recognized as a national leader of social justice-based arts in education organizations.
Patrice has worked extensively with national partners like Urban Word NYC and Youth Speaks Inc. to bring programs like the Sacramento Youth Poet Laureate to the Capital City.
Patrice has been honored with several awards and recognition including the Sacramento Kings National Basketball Association, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Impact Award, the California Equity Summit Social Justice Award; Ubuntu Award for Inspiring Social Change, Outstanding Service in African American Community Award; University of California Davis, the Points of Pride Award; UC Davis Division of Student Affairs, and the Exceptional Woman of Color Award from the Sacramento Cultural Hub.
Recently, Patrice received a California Senate Resolution for her contributions toward making Sacramento the poetry capital of California. Among all her recognitions and achievements, Patrice is honored and most proud to have received the Black Girls Rock Award from Grant Union High School, the We See You Award from Luther Burbank High School, the Inspire Award from Twin Rivers Unified School District, and the Most Valuable Partner Award from San Juan Unified School District.
As a Poet, Educator, Curator and the current Director of Sacramento Area Youth Speaks, Patrice Hill’s greatest victory is serving and standing alongside the beautiful and brilliant youth in Sacramento, and beyond.
Conference Presentations + Poetry Performances
2023. AERA. American Educational Research Association. Chicago, IL.
2023. Equity Ingenuity Conference. University of Houston. Houston, TX
2023. National Council of Teachers of English Assembly for Research. UC Davis. Davis, CA.
2022. All-In: Co-Creating Knowledge for Justice Conference. UC Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz, CA.
2022. Imagining America National Gathering. Tulane University. New Orleans, LA.
2022. AERA. American Educational Research Association. San Diego, CA.
2021. Respect! 24/7 Conference.. San Mateo Office of Education. San Mateo, CA.
2019. Team Up for Change Summit; Sacramento Kings + Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento, CA
2019. 43rd Annual National Council for Black Studies, New Orleans, LA
2019. Creativity Summit, Sacramento, CA
2019. People’s Think Tank; University of Massachusetts at Boston
2019. Peace and Unity Rally; Sierra Health Foundation, Sacramento, CA
2019. Black Women’s Staff Luncheon, Congressional Black Caucus, Sacramento, CA
2019. UC Black Administrators and Counselors Conference; UC Office of the President,
2019. Equity Summit; University of California Davis,
2019. Black Women’s March; Black Women United, Sacramento, CA,
2019. CA Spoken Word Project Convening, San Jose, CA
2018. American Educational Research Association Annual Conference, New York, NY
2018. Imagining America National Convening, Chicago, Il
2018. Educational Opportunity Program Graduation Ceremony
2018. Institute for Teachers committed to Racial Justice, UC Riverside
2018. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, Congressional Black Caucus, Sacramento, CA
2017. Black Student Unions of California Northern Region Conference, Davis, CA
2017. New Educator Weekend, California Teachers Association, Irvine, CA
2016. Teachers 4 Social Justice 17th Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA
2014. Harvard Graduate School of Education: Alumni of Color Conference
2012-2016, Slam Team Coach, Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Festival, Various Cities States
Awards & Honors
2020. Sacramento Kings Martin Luther King Jr. Community Impact Award
2019. Equity Summit Social Justice Award; Ubuntu Award for Inspiring Social Change
2019. We See You Award; Luther Burbank High School Renaissance Project Collective
2018. Black Girls Rock Award; Grant Union High School Administration
2018. Outstanding Service in African American Community Award; University of California Davis
2017. Points of Pride Award; UC Davis Division of Student Affairs
2017. Inspire Award; Twin Rivers Unified School District
Coordinator & Event Curator
2016-Current. Annual Sacramento Youth Poet Laureate Program. City-wide youth competition.
2013-Current. Sacramento Teen Poetry Slam Season. City-wide youth poetry slam competition.
2021-Current. UC Davis Equity Summit. Annual convening of social justice and equity warriors.
2004-2010. TalkBack Tuesday Open Mic Poetry Series.
