“The role of us poets is to witness the world.” –Danez Smith

Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother, poet and community activist, was killed by an ICE agent last week in Minneapolis. Her death sparked nationwide protests on the ongoing brutality waged by ICE agents and the Trump administration’s violent attack on communities. Since, many people have been sharing stories of her life and legacy, including her poem “On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs,” which won the 2020 Academy of American Poets Prize.

Just last week, I shared a collection of poems for the new year. I was inspired to, in part, because I’ve been learning more about how poetry as a form of narrative change, and how poets throughout history have supported the fight for justice. It’s a beautiful way to bear witness, to admonish and honor, and to reckon with the world around us.

Here are three pieces of work written by poets in honor of Renee Nicole Good.

An Elegy for My Neighbor, Renee Nicole Good. Fellow poet Danez Smith memorializes the Minneapolis mother's call to witness. Harper’s Bazaar >

Renee Nicole Good Is Murdered. Poet Cornelius Eady shares a heartbreaking poem honoring Good and condemning the violence of the carceral state. Poets >

“For Renee Nicole Good Killed by I.C.E. on January 7, 2026.” Poet Amanda Gorman shared her poem on social media a day after Good was killed. X >

One year after the L.A. fires: hope, blame and debt. After wildfires destroyed much of Altadena and Pacific Palisades, Southern California is trying to heal, but also struggling with how to move forward. The New York Times >

After the Los Angeles Wildfires, one Altadena couple reveals the lasting impacts of extreme weather disasters. It’s been one year since the L.A. fires. Eaton Fire survivors Katie and Marco Delgado talk about the climate-fueled fires, losing their house, and the challenges they’ve had with insurance. Center for American Progress >

Wildfire smoke is a national crisis, and it’s worse than you think. Greenhouse gas and particulate emissions from fires globally may be 70 percent higher than once believed, killing tens of thousands of Americans every year. Grist >

After devastating LA fires, California is drafting nation's toughest rules for homes. California is writing rules to limit plants around buildings to protect them from wildfires, after the Los Angeles fires a year ago. NPR >

Fear of immigration enforcement keeps day laborers away from wildfire zones, advocates say. Community groups said federal operations are halting the rebuilding process in Altadena. NBC News >

Wildfires started by daily human activities are often more destructive. Fast-moving fires, such as the recent ones in the Los Angeles area, and those started by humans, whether accidentally or not, are often some of the most destructive. Scientific American >

Guide: This handy checklist on how to protect your home from wildfires includes a series of simple tasks you can complete in less than a day. FEMA >

Border Patrol agents shot two people in Portland during immigration stop. The shooting came just one day after an ICE agent in Minneapolis shot and killed Renee Nicole Good. The Intercept >

ICE drives unmarked cars. This public database tracks their license plates. “ICE is doing whatever they can to be undetected, and so anything we can do to chip away at that.”