Italy Ja’rae Lee is a 19-year old award-winning actress and spoken word poet born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In 2022, she claimed her title as the New Jersey State Champion of Poetry Out Loud, which was the catalyst in amplifying her voice through writing her own poetry. Italy performs her original work across her homestate, advocating for arts education, social justice, and the mending of humanity. Currently a rising sophomore at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Italy studies acting at Atlantic Acting where she makes both of her talents meet. Recently, she won the audience choice award for Ultra Violet Live, NYU’s annual university-wide talent show as well as being named the Teen Champ for Parlee Endeavors Slam Competition. Italy aspires to emulate the impactful work of Nikki Giovanni for her own generation; serving as a voice that inspires others to spiritually heal, advocate for social change, and enable the essence of community everywhere they go.