Artistic Staff

Kwamena Blankson

Poet in Residence

Kwamena Blankson is an experienced public interest legal professional with a demonstrated commitment to non-profit organizations embedded in under-served communities. Born in Ghana, he was brought to America as a child and has lived in New York, Minnesota, Alabama. Massachusetts, and now Connecticut. Growing up in such diverse parts of the country as well as being an immigrant (and a person of color) has allowed him to maintain a sense of “otherness” that helps him experience America from an outsider’s perspective. His education and employment have focused on psychology and public interest law, all of which have exposed him to equity issues that are a longstanding part of American history, especially with regard to underserved populations in need of mental healthcare, economic justice, and spiritual renewal. He has been a worship facilitator/pastor and musician in several denominations over the past two decades. For 13 years, he served as the Legal Advocate for patients at Connecticut’s largest locked psychiatric facility. He is also the current president of the National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA). He is skilled in policy analysis, grassroots organizing, and crafting narratives to challenge clinical, cultural, and political messaging that perpetuates stigma, stereotypes, and poverty in all its forms. He is poet-in-residence at Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet.