Under dim lights in front of a group of about 30 African-American students, several students chose to read original poetry for the Spoken Word event held by the African-American Cultural Center last Thursday.
As the poets read there seemed to be no common theme other than being human. The poems presented dealt with topics such as race, religion, love and sex.
“The one theme I did see was personal experience and not just love but life experiences in general,” said Sharon Haskins, a psychology junior.
Haskins read several poems over the course of the evening.
“I just love to read my poetry,” she said. “It also gives me the chance to let people into my world, and if they get something out of it that just makes it 10 times better.”
Anastasia Wilson, an English senior, hosted the event. Wilson said she was surprised how many people attended despite it being held in the summer.
Wilson said she hopes the event gave African-Americans a chance to express themselves on a campus where they are a minority.
“A lot of people decided to write empowering pieces,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the event was held because of the Summer Scholars Program currently going on for minority students. The eight-week program is designed to help selected African-American students make the transition from high school to college.
Although some Summer Scholars students attended, Haskins said she wished more of them would have been present.
Wilson also said the Sankofa poets of the African-American Cultural Center will sponsor several more spoken word events.
The Sankofa poetry group was assembled during Black History Month to “bring awareness of African-American poetry,” Wilson said.
Sociology student Shayla Ferguson, president of the Sankofa poets, said Sankofa means retriving your past so you can live in the present for the future. Ferguson said she hopes the group can promote more things in African-American culture and can help people express themselves better.
Terence Hudson, an arts and sciences student, read a few original poems at the event and even performed an original hip-hop piece.
“People need to experience different types of music and witness different types of expression,” Hudson said.
Hudson hosts the Renaissance Show on Sunday nights from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on 91.1 KLSU-FM. The show features local guest poets along with a variety of music.
“It’s a great cultural experience,” Hudson said.
Ferguson was a guest poet on the Renaissance Show. Ferguson said the show features African-American artists new and old.
“He plays music with social awareness,” she said.