A group of performing black poets presented the story of the triumphs and tribulations of black history last night.
The African American Culture Center hosted the Sankofa Poets in their night of poetry titled, “Our Journey.” The poetry followed the story of blacks from their origins in Africa to their modern-day experiences in America.
Kristy Davis, a mass communication junior who narrated the night, described black history as the story of “one people trying to find a place in a world that displaced them.”
The night began with the depiction of blacks in Africa and the struggle many fought to remain free.
Jody Lavigne, a general studies junior and member of the Sankofa Poets, described the internal battle a recently captured slave suffered.
The story followed life as a slave in the United States, depicting the mentality of a slave owner and the dislike between slaves on a plantation.
Starvos Pierce, a religious studies senior and another Sankofa Poet, illustrated through poems the struggles facing a newly freed slave who had only known captivity.
Poets told students about Jim Crow laws and the life of a poet and singer during the Harlem Renaissance.
The Sankofa Poets then narrated the lives of blacks during the time of the civil rights battles in the 1950s and 1960s.
Quanza Albert, a political science sophomore, said she was most interested in the treatment and experience of the slaves and how the performers depicted their lives.
“It was very enlightening,” she said.
The poets covered issues some students said they feel are sensitive.
Latalia Brumfield, a pre-veterinary freshmen, said these issues are important.
“It’s good for people to talk about the past, for people to learn about the past and how people got to this point,” she said.
Pierce, who performed in several of the segments, said it is important for students to understand the journey of black Americans.
“Students get to hear spoken word, and to learn more about their history in a different way,” he said.