“Imma keep running ‘cause a winner don’t quit on themselves,” Lady Brion once sang as she interpolated Beyonce’s hit “Freedom” into her own slam poem, “Land of the Free.” And keep running she has.

During an event Monday night at The Clifton House, first lady Dawn Moore and the Maryland State Arts Council appointed Brion as Maryland’s 11th poet laureate — and its youngest ever.

Brion, 34, whose work focuses on “women’s empowerment and telling the story of the Black experience,” according to a press release, is also the first spoken word artist to be given the title.

“Lady Brion has a gift for relating lived experiences in truthful and powerful ways,” Moore said in the release. “No doubt she will serve the State well and make best use of this position to continue the important work of truth-telling and inspiring Marylanders through poetry and the spoken word.”

As an honorary state position, established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1959, the state’s poet laureate provides programs and public readings at special events for state citizens. Brion can serve up to four years in the role, a term renewable by the governor.

Brion, whose real name is Brion Gill, is based in Baltimore and received her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and publishing design from the University of Baltimore. As a slam poet, activist, educator and more, she has performed across the world since the age of 12, including in London and Ghana, and read a poem at Gov. Wes Moore’s inauguration in January 2023. She’s won numerous slam poetry competitions, taught creative writing at elementary and middle schools and coached poetry teams.

Brion already has experience working creatively within communities as she currently serves as the executive director of the Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts and Entertainment District. She is also on the board of directors for the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts and a public arts commissioner.

Brion stands in good company among other poet laureates in Maryland. She replaces Grace Cavalieri, now in her 90s, who has served since 2018. Prior laureates include Maria Briscoe Croker, Vincent Godfrey Burns, Lucille Clifton, Reed Whittemore, Linda Pastan, Roland Flint, Michael Collier, Michael Glaser and Stanley Plumly.

For Brion, it’s Clifton whose work particularly stands out. The poet and Pulitzer Prize finalist’s work focused on a range of topics, including the beauty and power of Black women’s bodies and what it takes for them to survive in this world.

The Clifton House, where the announcement of Brion’s role took place, was created by Lucille’s daughter, Sidney, to continue her legacy and that of Lucille’s husband and community activist, Fred Clifton.

Brion’s new role of poet laureate of Maryland allows her “to pay homage to the extraordinary poet Lucille Clifton,” she said in a release. “It is my mission to build upon her legacy, using the power of words to spark dialogue while fostering greater creativity, empathy, and understanding across the state of Maryland.”

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Maria Briscoe Croker’s surname.