June Jordan

June Jordan serves as Professor of African American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where she founded and directs the POETRY FOR THE PEOPLE program. Her work spans poetry, political essays, and memoirs, addressing urgent themes of race, class, sexual choice, and systemic injustice.

• Founded POETRY FOR THE PEOPLE initiative
• Author of volumes including Civil Wars, Technical Difficulties, and memoir Soldier
• Explores intersections of race, gender, and inequality in American society

Her writing confronts the dismantling of affirmative action, cultural pluralism, and global suffering, blending lyrical intensity with political critique. The memoir Soldier details her upbringing and the complex dynamics with her father.

June Jordan participated in a 2001 reading at the Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania, with recordings available via PennSound. Her works remain widely anthologized and discussed.