Award-winning wordsmith Rhea “RheaSunshine” Carmon is a force that weaves passion, purpose, and power into poetry. For twenty years, RheaSunshine has traveled the nation, sharing her gift of the spoken word and facilitating self-expression, liberation, and healing. This art form has led her to touch lives at universities and educational institutions as well as civic engagements and festivals. She has opened for such artists as Nikki Giovanni, Macy Gray, and Saul Williams and the world constantly expands to make room for her gift.
Rhea “RheaSunshine” Carmon is the creator and Executive Director of the 5th Woman Cohort, which explores the stories of women. Regardless of race, women share the same experiences, fears, joys and more. The 5th Woman Cohort allows the participants to examine their various backgrounds without social and political barriers. Recently named the Poet Laureate of Knoxville, RheaSunshine strives to touch hearts and inspire people to share their own stories. She has published four chapbooks and has recorded three audio CDs. Her fourth book, Through the Clouds, explores her battle with Multiple Sclerosis. Not motherhood, MS, or any obstacle can slow this Renaissance woman down. As she has stated in her writing, she still has poems that she hasn’t even written yet.