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Spoken Word Artists Use Words For Change

NEW ORLEANS DATA NEWS WEEKLY — The artist showcase organized by the International Arts Foundation of New Orleans with the Center for African and African American Studies at Southern University at New Orleans took place on Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, at the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Auditorium on the campus.

Published

5 years ago

October 22, 2019

Oakland Post

Michael "Quess?" Moore performs at "A Night of Spoken Word" on Oct. 4, 2019. The event was organized by the Center for African & African American Studies at SUNO in collaboration with the International Arts Foundation of New Orleans. (Photo by: Lacee Ancar)

By Lacee Ancar

The artists needed no introduction.

“I wear an exclamation point as my name,” proclaimed Poet Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes, one of the featured performers at “A Night of Spoken Word.”

The artist showcase organized by the International Arts Foundation of New Orleans with the Center for African and African American Studies at Southern University at New Orleans took place on Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, at the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Auditorium on the campus.

“This is our first time hosting this event, but we’ve been hosting affairs and programs for quite some time,” said Dr. Clyde Robertson, an Associate Professor of Humanities at SUNO who organized the event. Robertson said the event was part of a series of activities offered by SUNO to engage the community on educational, civic, cultural, and social action. The university will offer upcoming programs in a year-long series featuring keynote speakers from across the African Diaspora. Future events include a celebration of Nigerian Independence, and a Multi-Disciplinary Art Exhibition this month and in November.Nigerian poet Wana “WanaWana” Udobang performs at “A Night of Spoken Word” on Oct. 4, 2019.

The spoken word event celebrated the African Diaspora through poetry and featured spoken word and poetry artists. Jamaican Poet Allan “Mutabaruka” Hope and Nigerian Poet Wana “WanaWana” Udobang, joined New Orleans poets: Chuck Perkins, Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes, and Michael “Quess?” Moore. The works of the spoken word artists reflect activist poetry that speaks to the struggles and experiences of people of African descent. They also aim to uplift and empower Black people and connect them to their heritage and dignity.

Moore, who is better known for his stage name, “Quess?” he is a poet and educator from Brooklyn, N.Y., but since moving to New Orleans has been at the forefront of social activism. He is a co-founder of Team SNO, which stands for Slam New Orleans, the first New Orleans Slam Team since Hurricane Katrina. He said he fell in love with the craft of writing at the age of six and was introduced to spoken word at age 10. He said he draws inspiration mostly from everyday injustices that Black people face.

“I was introduced to poetry by way of activism,” Moore said. He tackles this topic from the point of view of a Black man in America, and he said he’s lived experiences naturally provides him with lots to write about.

“I can’t imagine not reacting to injustice through poetry,” Moore said.

Moore said he was inspired by the early nineties Hip Hop influences like the Rap Duo A Tribe Called Quest, which inspired his name. As a young writer, Moore was completely sure of how he wanted to identify himself. So, he merged the word “guess” and “quest” to form “Quess?” because he wasn’t sure where his journey would lead him.

Like Moore, Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes uses spoken word as a form of activism. The New Orleans native who is a poet and educator has been performing since 1997. She has taught the spoken word, social justice, and service-learning at Tulane University. Her pieces are inspired by injustices but from the point of view of Black women. She was a featured on TEDx Women in 2012, for an installment of TED Talks, performing a piece titled, “The Rising,” where she talks about the “innate danger of womanhood.” A second piece called “Chasms” was featured by TED talk in 2018 where she offers uplifting narrative through her poetry. Ecclesiastes said she also likes to write pieces that celebrate the essence of African people.

The power of words to call for action inspired those who attended to use their voices to educate others about their experiences or to uplift a community. Ed’Dijah Bridges, a local singer-songwriter attended the event and is pursuing a major in mathematics at SUNO. Bridges said she related to spoken word the same way she relates to writing and performing music. “It’s the way that you feel about the words you’re singing,” she said of the power of the spoken word.

This article originally appeared in New Orleans Data News Weekly.

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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.