A poet and emcee, Tish Jones speaks to communities about controversial topics through her lyrical art. Inspired at an early age, her love of people and her pursuit of truth have made her a vital part of the Minneapolis arts scene. Over the years, her name has become synonymous with leadership, community, and authenticity. Founder & Executive Director of TruArtSpeaks, Tish Jones is a poet, organizer and educator from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Currently serving as the Brave New Voices Leadership Fellow at Youth Speaks in San Francisco, Jones has a passion for Hip Hop, Spoken Word and Youth Development through the arts. She has performed at The Walker Art Center, Intermedia Arts, The Cedar Cultural Center and more. Her work can be found in the Minnesota Humanities Center’s upcoming anthology entitled, Blues Vision: African American Writing from Minnesota (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2015), the 2011 and 2013 Saint Paul Almanac, the Loft Literary Center’s Nation of Immigrants audio CD highlighting the voices of their longstanding Equilibrium Spoken Word Series, and many more spaces.