Memorial Open Mic for Sandra Turner-Barnes

Wednesday March 2, 2022 – 7pm – LIVE at Fergie’s Pub

1214 Sansom Street and on zoom, Registration Required for zoom – use this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpfumtqTgjG9wjtw-r78pDDvf43obI0URl

Join us for a memorial open mic poetry reading for Sandra Turner-Barnes

Sandra Turner-Barnes of Lawnside — writer, arts administrator, and well-known poet — died Friday January 10, 2022 at the age of 74.

Turner-Barnes was former director of the Camden County Cultural & Heritage Commission. At the time of her passing, she served on the board of the Camden County Historical Society, often speaking publicly to adults and students about the history of enslaved peoples of the region.

A well-known poet, Turner-Barnes also led several poetry series in the area. For many years, she hosted a popular Poetry in the Park series at Hopkins House in Cooper River Park, which helped nurture the writing careers of numerous aspiring poets. Up until last month, she also hosted A Place in Time open-mic series at the historical society and The Poet’s House series at the IDEA Center for the Arts in Camden.

Together with her friend and protégé Brother Daoud Bey of Camden, Turner-Barnes for many years administered the Arts for Teens program at Rutgers-Camden, through her role as county cultural & heritage director.

Her poetry community often referred to her as the Cadillac Lady, a reference to one of her early poems and her love for the car.

From Tammy Paolino, Cherry Hill Courier-Post

Sean Lynch, Host – Open Reading