BUFFALO, NY — Jillian Hanesworth is Buffalo’s first poet laureate. She is molding that role into something powerful, reminding everyone to choose love. She recently took a trip to Los Angeles and has been working with the NFL on a special project.
In August, Hanesworth spent time at the Johnny B. Wiley Amateur Sports Pavilion.
“They do such a good job as showing in the city for what it is - something that's colorful and exciting with a lot of life, kids and a lot of people who are hustling, but who also aspire to do something with their art, with their athleticism, with their voice,” Hanesworth said.
An acquaintance pitched an idea to the NFL.
“To come up with a poem that's kind of like a love letter to Buffalo,” Hanesworth said.
The rest is well-documented history.
A crew came out and shot footage for the three-minute video, where Hanesworth spreads Buffalove through poetry.
“It kind of recounts the year we've had and not the year that the Bills had, but the year that the community has,” she said. “So we're talking about May 14th and we're talking about the firefighter that passed. We're talking about the snowstorms. We're also talking about Damar Hamlin, and really having faith for our team in their times of trial.”
Hanesworth spent a week in Los Angeles, where she got a sneak peek of the video. She says it shows Buffalo in a way that’s normally not in national bumps during a game.
“You don't see the little kids that go out and play football in the street during halftime because they see Stefon Diggs and they're like, I can do that,” Hanesworth said.
That’s there, and more. While in the land of the stars, she got a tour of the NFL Network.
“My favorite part was going on the NFL Total Access set,” Hanesworth smiled.
They were rehearsing new touchscreens, and were asked who was going to win the Super Bowl.
“One of the guys brought the Bills over and I interrupted them and I'm like, 'Go Bills',” she said.
Hanesworth is putting her platform to good use with the hope to not only educate, but inspire, the nation.
“I hope that they feel the urgency to stay together,” Hanesworth said. “You know, like we not only Buffalo, just as a nation. We can't only come together behind sports teams.”
But also little girls who look like her.
“You don’t have to have a seat at anybody's table like there's something that you want,” she said. “You can create it. You can build it yourself, and then you can determine who has a seat at your table.”
That is unless you decide to make a table not as a Bills fan.
“If you're going to navigate Buffalo, it's just a lot easier if you're obviously,” Hanesworth laughed.
Hanesworth's video airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. on the NFL Network. It will also be shared on social media, so go ahead and pass it on.