I received a text earlier today from my dear friend Nikky Finney urging me to help her get the word out


about the change.org petition below. A link on her FB page was accompanied by this post:

Dear fearless lovers of truth and poetry, As many of you
know the story of LaVena Johnson is close to my heart. When I wrote the
poem "Florissant: for LaVena Johnson, 19" I intentionally wanted