CHAININ' DAY: My Poetic History and Induction into Black On Black Rhyme

The spotlight glared at me waiting for an answer. The microphone screamed silence. My heart was racing, my stomach tensed, the crowd was eager, but my mind was focused. Like the sweetest cube of sugar on the tip of a child’s tongue, my short lived fear melted into excitement.  Somehow, before I even began, I knew that I was meant to do this. 

For as long as I can remember I have been a writer, poetry included. English has always been my favorite subject. In elementary school I would write short stories and poems just for fun. Apparently, I was pretty good at it too. I remember my first grade teacher showing off my assignments to her coworkers and I would even win little poetry contests. Writing has always come naturally to me and encouragement early on helped to foster my love of words. It's a beautiful cycle; I love writing because I'm good at it and I am good at writing because I love it. Success makes me fall in love all over again. 

 I was awestruck the first time I saw poetry being performed. I saw it as a way to associate a personality with the words that I loved so much. I remember thinking; "I'm going to do that someday!" And here I am. My freshman year in high school was the first time I ever performed spoken word and it changed my life forever. I joined The Expressionists, a spoken word society directed by Larry Knight at my high school and he took me under his poetic wings. This marks a point in my life where writing and poetry became more than just a hobby, it was a new mind frame. I discovered poetry in every thing that I did and in all of my thoughts. I became committed to this prophetic art form.

 Black On Black Rhyme (BOBR) is an international poetry troupe made up of poets, teachers, and activists. It was founded by Keith Rogers in Tallahassee, Florida. There are several chapters of this organization established in cities all over the world including Jacksonville (my home town), Tampa, Atlanta, and Abu Dhabi. My wonderful coach and koungoza (Swahili for guide) Ebony Payne-English is the first ever female to establish her own chapter. After going through her program and getting performance experience she was able to induct me into the troupe. The Tuesday of my first college spring break we took a road trip to Tallahassee and I was introduced to Keith, got to meet Georgia Me, a world renowned spoken word artist, and received my beautiful, custom-made chain! 

This video is a short look into the feeling and surroundings of that evening as well as the piece I performed for my Black On Black Family! The more I reflect on this milestone in my life the more appreciative I am of my creative blessings. Within the poetry world, community is extremely important and my network is full of amazing people I consider family. Becoming a part of BOBR is more than just a status or a line to add to my resume, this moment in my life has propelled me to embrace poetry with a new found sense of purpose.