Nico Amador on the symbiotic relationship between poetry and social justice work

His poems exhibit an activist bent yet never cede beauty to ideology. Through his academic work — he earned his B.A. in English and Black studies — Amador’s voice began to shift away from a spoken-word style, but a sense of rhythm remains present. “Maggot Rhyme” begins:

Obstinate boy, hot mess.
Sun on bare ribs, cigarettes.
Arm-tattooed, sailor.
Salty-mouthed, failure.

After college, Amador spent the next two decades fighting for trans rights, queer liberation, and racial justice. He has poured his energy into efforts to end mass incarceration, secure protections for undocumented immigrants, and end a public transportation system policy that discriminated against trans and gender nonconforming passengers in Philadelphia. His proclivity for shapeshifting is evident in the many roles he has played in pursuit of social justice, from executive director of the organization Training for Change to trainer and facilitator of hundreds of workshops for organizations including Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, the Transgender Law Center, and Greenpeace.