Suban Nur Cooley is a Somali poet, educator, and the current Lansing Poet Laureate. Rooted in Black storytelling traditions, spoken word, and community engagement, her work explores diaspora, memory, belonging, and the relationship between poetry and place. Through public initiatives like Pop-Up Poetry and Poetry in Motion, she creates community-centered poetry experiences that invite people to encounter language beyond the page—through movement, gathering, conversation, and shared space.