"Your Words Matter." ~ Martin Luther King, III ~

TAMA BRISBANE is Stockton’s Poet Laureate Emerita. She served four historic terms from 2015-2023, presenting well over 300 times, including the inauguration of the city's first Black Mayor, Michael Tubbs. Her debut Laureate project helped engineer Stockton's return to All-American City status with an innovative spoken word piece incorporating dozens of multicultural, multigenerational voices. Her Keynote Performance for the 25th Anniversary of the "I Have A Dream" World Peace Rose Garden at Ebenezer Baptist Church led Martin Luther King III to say: “your words matter.” In 2022 Tama was invited to narrate the world premiere of "In Tune With Justice," Composer/Conductor Victoria Bond and the Stockton Symphony's tribute to the life and work of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

As a Literary & Performing Arts Consultant, Tama develops curricula, programs and events rooted in creative and courageous self-expression. The impact of her words and her works have positively shifted artistic, cultural and civic engagement landscapes in Stockton, across the United States, and around the world. She is Co-Founder of The Expression Lab Initiative in Zambia, which conducts workshops at over a dozen educational institutions. 

 "Mama T" is a published author; Susan B. Anthony Award Winner for Creative Arts; a University of the Pacific Woman of Distinction; a Black Women Organized for Political Action Honoree; an alumna of the Delta Leadership Academy for environmental advocacy; a founding board member of Tuleburg Press, a Founding Member of the National Black Poets Group, a charter member of the Brave New Voices National Network, and a board member of the San Joaquin Pride Center. Her tireless work on behalf of youth -- particularly young voices from the margins and from communities of color -- has been recognized by both houses of the California Legislature, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.