MILWAUKEE — Kavon Cortez-Jones, 27, loves Milwaukee. So much so, he wrote a love letter to the city he calls home.
The poem "A Love Letter to Milwaukee" is one of many poems he's written about the cream city. You can listen to the full seven minute version here. In it, he talks about exploring beyond the Harambee neighborhood he grew up in.
"Growing up on Richard Street, I knew there was more to the city, so sometimes I would bike out to Bayview. Just following my curiosity has allowed me to meet and mingle with so many different people with different backgrounds," Cortez-Jones said.
The poem includes shoutouts to Bronzeville, Lake Michigan and some his favorite cafes. But, Cortez-Jones has acknowledges the issues the city faces.
"The racial disparities, I feel like all of the experiences that I mention, I just experienced them and I figured out a way to organize my thoughts to express it to people, because people should know about these things," he said.
Cortez-Jones originally wrote the poem in his early 20s for Black History Month. He said poetry is his was of recording his own story.
His work has caught the attention of some of the biggest names in the city, including the Milwaukee Bucks. Last week Crotez-Jones performed "A Love Letter to Milwaukee" during halftime at a game.
"The crowd did not specifically come to see or hear poetry, and so for the Bucks to (allow) me to perform the halftime show, I'm like wow, I'm so honored," he said.
This weekend he's releasing a book of his work. To go to the launch or to get a copy click here.
