is an award-winning Black American gay poet, spoken word artist, and Hip-Hop educational leader from Washington DC. Or, you can just call him an “Ed Emcee”. He is author of How the Boogeyman Became a Poet - a young adult (YA) memoir in verse, and Knucklehead (Winter 2025) - a YA poetry collection, both published by Katherine Tegen Books at HarpersCollins.
A multi-year fellow of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Tony has featured performances at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington National Cathedral, Historic Lincoln Theatre, Bus Boys & Poets, and in schools and communities in Johannesburg, South Africa, Arusha Tanzania, and many more.
He is co-author of the award-winning book Open Mic Night: Campus Programs that Champion College Student Voice and Engagement, and his academic work appears in the International Journal of Critical Media Literacy, Equity & Excellence in Education, the Journal of Black Masculinity, the Journal of Negro Education and several others.
Tony’s award-winning dissertation, Educational Emcees: Mastering Conditions in Education Through Hip-Hop and Spoken Words, inspired the founding of his company “Ed Emcee Academy”. He currently lives in his DC hometown with his husband, Harry Christian III.
Tony Keith Jr.
How the Boogeyman Became a Poet is a young adult memoir in verse that traces Tony’s journey from being a closeted gay Black teen battling poverty, racism, and homophobia to becoming an openly gay first-generation college student who finds freedom in poetry. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, George M. Johnson, and Jacqueline Woodson. - HarperCollins (Feb. 6, 2024)
Editorial Reviews
'In this debut, Keith has penned not just a memoir, but also a blazing proclamation of existence for any child that feels like a mere figment of the world’s imagination. What a life-affirming masterpiece.' — Jason Reynolds, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Daring. Bold. Liberating. A recanting of a story that took a world of courage to live, becoming crystallized in all its Black boy glory now that we get to behold it. — Candice Iloh, author of Every Body Looking, a National Book Award finalist
“Keith offers a vulnerability within these pages that’s reminiscent of George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue (2020) and Candice Iloh’s Every Body Looking (2020) and will especially speak to young people who are dealing with similar educational, familial, and interpersonal pressures. An emotionally honest and self-reflective debut.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Searing honesty and deft wordplay create a vivid impression of this enormously talented and multifaceted writer and performer. Teens will relate to Keith's story and celebrate his conquering of the Boogeyman: his own doubts and fears.” — Booklist (starred review)
