Baltimore Teen Wins City Poet Award

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Too often, according to the mayor, when we hear about teens in Baltimore, it's because they've been at the center of a disturbance or crime.

But now, as Mike Schuh reports, a young man has caught the mayor's attention for all the right reasons.

On a spectacular morning, it is truth and beauty that brings the Ebert family to City Hall.

"Can't wait to go in and meet the mayor," Derick Ebert said. "Definitely excited."

Derick is there to receive an honor.

"My message to get to become Poet Laureate and the poems I usually write about is having a sense of identity," said Derick.

His identity is now forever changed by the mayor. He is Baltimore's first Youth Poet Laureate.

"Huge satisfaction. It really took me by surprise because he's not real open about what's going on during his day," said his parents, Sheila and Mike Ebert.

So this 19-year-old grad of City College, now a sophomore at the University of Baltimore found himself at City Hall reading his poetry to the mayor.

"I'm just glad you and these other cameras are here to witness because I think far too often our young people have amazing talent and are so inspirational but no one cares," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

But now that's something Derick is trying to change.

Derick says he is studying to become an English teacher. He says he was exposed to the world's great writers through YouTube and says he's only been writing poetry for a year.