Margie “Mia X” Johnson, Newark’s inaugural Poet Laureate
(NEWARK, NJ) -- On Thursday, September 11, 2025, Newark Poet Laureate and Emmy-nominated artist Margie "Mia X" Johnson will relaunch H.U.G. the Block (Heal, Unite, Grow) — a public art demonstration of love, wellness, and resilience that began in 2012. This year, Johnson is launching her mission to collect 5,000 community stories and transform them into poems, making this not just an event but a historic citywide movement.
Founded in 2012 on the corner of Irvine Turner Blvd and Muhammad Ali Ave by Newark’s own Margie “Mia X” Johnson, the event has become a beacon of resilience and creativity. Johnson, an Emmy-nominated poet and Newark’s inaugural Poet Laureate, calls H.U.G. the Block a “hood he(ART) project.” She explains, “I’m telling the story of why we hug it while morphing it into a real solution for what ails our community. I’m grateful to the spirit for waking me up on the inside and charging me to do SOMETHING.”
H.U.G. The Block is not only a showcase of the multitudes of talent planted and grown in Newark’s South Ward. It is about raising the vibration of the neighborhood with collective care and presence. This year, 5,000 neighbors and friends are invited to encompass the block at Clinton Avenue and South 10th Street, in front of Deliverance Temple, for a healing, empowering, loving hug.
This event also marks the first in a series of public activations for Johnson as Poet Laureate. Her mission is to write 5,000 poems in community. Johnson, along with several other notable city poets, will gather stories from neighbors and transform them into poems that honor the lives behind them. “I translate life into Poetry,” she shares. Community members are encouraged to come out and be part of a historical mission for the city.
This event is an ArtsXChange presented in collaboration with Clinton Hill Community Action and NJPAC Community Engagement Department supported by New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Department of Community Affairs, The Regional Foundation and the Dodge Foundation
Community Activations Include:
* Free haircuts for community members
* Performances from globally recognized B-Boys
* Yoga for all ages
* Visual art and live painting
* A catwalk down Clinton Avenue
* A Youth Jam led by Roc and The Collective, including beatmaking and music lessons
* The largest healing circle the Clinton Hill community has seen
Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA) is a nonprofit driving the revitalization of Newark’s Clinton Hill neighborhood in the South Ward. Founded in 2019, CHCA takes a resident-led approach to tackling long-standing challenges and sparking lasting change. They focus on affordable housing, food security, economic empowerment, community building, and environmental justice, building trust, amplifying community voice, and turning collaboration into action for a stronger, more equitable Clinton Hill.
