BATON ROUGE, La. — April 24, 2020 — Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome partnered with Baton Rouge poet Donney Rose to release a spoken-word poem about the coronavirus pandemic. Rose is a writer, essayist, poet, teaching artist, and activist.

Mayor Broome and Rose encourage the community to, “slow our roll,” and, “imagine us banning together by staying apart.”

“As someone who is a lifelong resident of Baton Rouge, a community advocate and someone who is identified as being immuno-compromised from pre-existing conditions, it is important to me to offer words of inspiration and caution to my fellow Baton Rougeans,” said Rose. “COVID-19 is indiscriminate of who it attacks, but it is especially damaging to marginalized communities, and so I feel it is a part of my obligation as a trusted voice for many to speak truth to power about the times we’re in and how we move beyond this.”

Mayor Broome encourages influencers in the Baton Rouge community to emphasize the importance of physical distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Donney Rose is more than just a poet; he is someone who can connect with our community and advocate for the importance of adhering to mitigation efforts,” said Mayor Broome.

To watch the video, visit: https://youtu.be/L1IbPL-9uDI.