On February 20, Parkland held its “Poetry/Spoken Word” event in the student union, one of the many events Parkland held throughout February to celebrate black history month. The event featured spoken word performances from poets Ja Nelle Davenport-Pleasure and Nikiaya Brandon.
The first poet to perform was Davenport-Pleasure, who performed with the confidence and stage presence of an experienced and talented poet. The three poems she performed focused on black history and black identity. When asked about the importance of spoken word poetry in black history, Davenport-Pleasure commented,
“I choose to perform “Black History,” “Black S.K.I.N. Identity” and “Black Pepper” to showcase my style of writing but to also show diverse topics of spoken word. Our community is an intricate tapestry of our history, our struggles, our triumphs, our heritage, and our legacies. It’s a crucial means of breaking through historical silences and amplifying our narratives that demand recognition. I wanted our young people to see and hear that their voices should be heard not just one month out of a year but every day.”
Along with being named Urbana’s 2023 Poet Laureate, Davenport-Pleasure has written two poetry books titled “Eyes Open” and “Splitting 650.” She is not only a talented poet, but a mother of three and a dancer who has founded a ballroom dance troupe for children called Cinderella/Cinderfella. She aims to encourage people to express themselves creatively through art forms like spoken word, dance, and music.
Brandon performed next. Her poems focused on and emphasized the importance of celebrating black history, not just in February but all year long. Brandon’s performance showed a promising amount of talent and a good grasp of poetic technique.
Brandon is a Parkland student pursuing a degree in Social Work while also being a poet and self-published author. This past summer, Brandon came out with her debut poetry book, “A Glimpse Into Her World of Words.” She strives to empower people through her poetry and performances, inspiring them to make a positive impact on the world around them.
This event not only showcased the importance of black history and pride through spoken word poetry but also highlighted two incredibly talented women in the Champaign-Urbana community. For information on more Parkland events like this, visit Parkland Student Life.
