A trio of diverse women stood before an equally diverse audience to deliver the Diction of Divas, a series of poetry that ranged from personal to political issues.
Mexican-American Amalia Ortiz, Korean-American Ishle Park, and Caribbean-American Lynne Procope are the divas of Diva Diction.
Diva Diction, a program of HBO’s Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry, was presented to LSU students courtesy of the Union Programming Council’s Black Culture Committee and the Office of Multicultural Affairs Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the Union Cotillion Ballroom.
Black Culture Committee Chairperson Andrea Allen said the club chose this program for two reasons.
“We wanted to reach out to a diverse audience,” Allen said. “And we wanted to bring a program that enriched students in an educational as well as entertainment capacity.”
Instead of simply presenting the spoken word before the audience, the artists also shared the stories that served as each poem’s inspiration.
Natasha Giles, a sociology junior, said she would not normally come to events like Diva Diction, but was happy she attended.
“The poets approached a variety of topics which served as an eye-opening experience,” she said.
Park related a story about the antics that went on during her family picnics. “This is where I learned it’s okay to be a crazy woman,” she said.
Park said the women in her family showed her it was okay to be crazy and have fun as long as the important parts of your life were in order.
She then sang a song in Korean and followed it with a poem about her grandmother, who sang the same song. Park said that her grandmother’s song had a powerful impact on her family, and that her grandmother was the source of her strength.
Ortiz spoke about the influence of jazz music in her life.
“Life throws you some surprises, but if you just roll with it, you will never miss a beat,” she said.
She also addressed women in the armed services, citing Jessica Lynch.
While expressing the deepest sympathy for Lynch, Ortiz discussed the “domestic terrorism of domestic violence” in the United States.
Ortiz said there are women on America’s soil who are subjected to rape, discrimination and the “mass media weapons of mass destruction.”
Procope spoke next, with an excerpt from a poem on domestic abuse.
“Every 12 seconds, one women dies from domestic abuse,” she said. “My sister has become part of that statistic.”
The last poem Procope presented posed a challenge to poets.
She encouraged them, saying, “There is work to be done.”
She said aspiring artists need to know where they came from, understand what they represent and take a stand for their beliefs.
“We have no right or reason to remain silent,” she said.
Lee Guilbeau, a kinesiology senior, said he liked the trio’s diversity.
“These women are phenomenal,” he said. “I have heard some of the same topics before, but the fact that they were women from various backgrounds offers another twist on minority issues through poetry.”
Procope also offered advice to college students.
“Now is the perfect time in your life for you to make mistakes,” she said. “So it’s important for you to not be afraid to speak up about your beliefs.”