POETRY AWARDS
- First Place Springfield Arts Poetry Prize 2013
- 2010 Pablo Neruda Poetry Prize from Nimrod International
- Kresge Arts in Detroit, Eminent Artist Award nominee, 2009
- Featured poet, The MacGuffin, 2007, 2010
- The John Ciardi Poetry Prize for Escape Artist, BkMk Press, 2003
- The Foley Poetry Award for “Commencement,” America, 1990;
- Poetry Atlanta Distinguished Merit Award, 1989
- Best Poem Honorarium: The MacGuffin, “New Decade, New Writers” Special Issue, 1990 for “At the Moscow Circus.”
- Pushcart Poetry Prize nominations: Ekphrasis (2); BkMk Press; Jim Daniels; The MacGuffin
- Four Way Books Intro Series Award
- New Issues Poetry Series–First Book Award
- Brittingham Prize, University of Wisconsin Press
- Larry Levis Award, Four Way Books
AWARDS
- Kresge Arts in Detroit Literary Fellow, 2013
- Honorary Doctorate Oakland University 2014
- Michigan Youth Arts Festival: 1990, 2008 Creative Writing Educator of the Year
- Wayne County Arts, History And Humanities Council: 2007 Humanities Award
- Women’s National Book Association, 2007 Detroit Bookwoman of the Year
- Alabama A&M University Alumni Association, Detroit Renaissance Chapter, 2004 Arts Excellence Promoter of the Year Award
- Michigan Youth Arts Festival, 2001 Arts Educator of the Year
- ArtServe Michigan, Michigan Governor’s Award for Arts Education, 2000
- Detroit Metro Times Progressive Hero Award, 1999
- National Council of Teachers of English Recognition of Excellence in School Literary Magazines, Superior Rankings in 1991, 1992 and 1993 for Mumford’s Style! and 1995 and 1996 for Communication and Media Arts High School’s Soliloquy.
- United Black Artists, Pioneering Teacher in the Arts Award, 1994
- University of Michigan Institute for the Humanities, Residency 1993
- National Endowment for the Humanities, Teacher-Scholar Award 1992-1993
- Wayne County RESA, Golden Apple Teaching Award 1993
- Wayne County RESA, Creative Writing Teaching Awards 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
- Scholastic, Inc., National Scholastic Writing Teacher Award, 1989
JUDGE/PANELIST, SELECTED
- Springfed Arts Poetry Prize 2018
- Aquinas College Student Poetry Contest 2016
- The MacGuffin Poet Hunt, 2011
- President’s Committee for the Arts and The Humanities Youth Program Awards, 2011
- Michigan Humanities Council, Poetry Out Loud Recitation, State Judge, 2011
- Poetry Society of Michigan, 2010
- National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Out Loud Recitation, National Judge, 2010
- Kresge Arts in Detroit panelist, 2010
- Manuscript reviewer: University of Akron Press, 2002; BkMk Press, 2010
- Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Prize, first and/or final reader for full-length book of poems by an African-American poet: 1995-present
- National Endowment for the Arts, Reader, Fast Track Challenge Grant, 2008
- Michigan Assn of Community Arts Agencies, Panelist, CPAIR Partnerships, 2005
- Abby Copps Poetry Prize, Judge, Olivet College, 2003
- The President’s Committee for the Arts and the Humanities, Coming Up Taller, 2003
- Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame, Historical Award, 2001
- Detroit Metro Times Poetry Prize, 2003
- Dunes Review Poetry Award, Glen Arbor Arts Association, Glen Arbor, MI 1999
- The Detroit Free Press Scholastic Student Writing Awards, 1993