Poet, singer and songwriter Kara Jackson will be appearing at the University of Wisconsin’s Union South April 6, at The Sett. Jackson released her debut folk record “Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?” in 2023 to significant praise.

This performance precedes Jackson’s North American tour that begins in her hometown of Chicago on April 25.

For her whole life, folk music and poetry have been significant to Jackson’s life, according to a 2023 interview with The Guardian. Jackson got her first guitar at age 11 and simultaneously learned piano. In high school, Jackson became a member of a spoken-word club and participated in poetry slams. From 2019 to 2020, Jackson was a National Youth Poet Laureate.

In her poetry, Jackson focuses on social justice, championing efforts to combat misogyny, white supremacy, white privilege, colorism and more, according to a collection of her works shared with Callosum Magazine. Her political activism continues in her music. As the daughter of a labor union worker, she is intimately familiar with protest and advocacy and the power music can have in political movements. Jackson cited artists such as Joni Mitchell, Pete Seeger and Nina Simone as key influences in her interview with The Guardian.

In several X posts, Jackson has expressed frustration at unmasked audiences, feeling as though she exists “purely as a source of entertainment.” If you are planning on attending this concert, you may want to consider wearing a mask to respect the values and requests of the performer.

Jackson’s work has been lauded for its vulnerability and authenticity. In the title track of her debut album, Jackson processes the grief losing her best friend to cancer in 2016 and her grandfather in 2023. This is just one example of the depth of emotion she is capable of expressing in her music. Attendees will get a much richer introduction to her tremendous talent.

Jackson’s concert is free to the public and the performance will run from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.