Motivational speaker, educator and poet Greg Corbin is a well-known local celebrity in Philadelphia.

As he drives downtown, Corbin is flagged down by almost everyone on the street: a good friend of his, another student, another fan. He is a Philadelphia native who has received Knight funding for multiple initiatives. Corbin was a 2012 winner of the BMe Challenge, which helps men who are engaging and reshaping Philadelphia to accelerate their work. His current BMe legacy project aims to dispel misconceptions regarding black males and masculinity. His book and documentary will dive deep into the definitions of 21st century manhood using poetry, focus groups, workshops, film, spoken word, and theatre.

Corbin is also the founder and executive director of Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement, one of the first winners of the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia. The poets competed nationally last month and won second place in the Brave New Voices competition in California. RELATED 

“Philly on the rise: Young people offer solutions to big city challenges” by Jenna Buehler on KnightBlog

Corbin says that while Philadelphia youth do have the power to solve Philadelphia’s most complex problems, it’s up to city leaders to empower them.  

By Jenna Buehler, executive assistant/Communications at Knight Foundation