By: Monique Cole
This year the Division of Public Relations and Marketing Communications are teaming up with NSU’s Alvin Sherman library to host the fourth Annual ‘Let’s Speak Truth’ Poetry and Spoken Word Night. This event will take place on Friday, March 10, 2017.
Poetry and Spoken World Night will take place at the Adolfo & Marisela Cotilla Gallery, which is located on the second floor of the Alvin Sherman Library on NSU’s main campus. This will be a two-hour event, which will begin at 6:30pm, and end around 8:30pm.
Poetry and Spoken Word Night began back in 2014. This event is closing out the black history month series, that is annual series presented by NSU. Christie Williams and Lethesha Harris both work together to plan and promote the event. Ms. Williams describes the purpose and feel of the event by stating, “I just want people to come out and enjoy themselves. It’s a nice evening. We have usually 130 people there. So it’s a good size event, but it’s a small location the venue so it makes it feel more intimate… I just want people to come out and have a good time.”
The night is a combination of listening and self-expression through music, poetry and spoken word. Ms. Williams wants people to know that, “It’s also just a platform for people to express themselves, because I don’t think there is a lot of poetry events that happen on campus. So, I just want to use it as a platform for the students, the staff and the community to be able to express their self in a creative way.”
Adejare McMillan is a graduate student in the College of Psychology, who is currently receiving his masters in science and mental health counseling. Adejare has been writing poetry for sixteen years. “I want to say it was my past time but it’s more of who I am, it is a part of me. It’s something I must do, something that I am compelled to do, something I do daily, something that I love to do.” He has been a part of the event as a performer and as an audience member since 2014. Adejare described the location and atmosphere of the event by stating, “It’s in a beautiful space… It’s always filled with art, so the ambiance is great. The night is full. The performance list is always full. It’s a good time and it’s a good night.”
This year’s host will be local community artist Quick the Poet. Ms. Williams described Quick the Poet’s involvement by stating, “Since the beginning, we have used Quick the Poet. He is from the community. He does a lot of shows. He does some at the Broward Center of the Performing Arts.” One of Adejare’s motivations to get involved was Quick the Poet. Adejare describes the host by saying, “The host of the night is a very well-known poet in the South Florida Area…Good friend of mine actually. And so that is definitely a draw…He is an amazing guy, great at what he does. ”
Adejare encourages participation in the event by stating, “Come out. Don’t be apprehensive. Don’t be nervous. And if you are bring the nervousness anyway, it’s welcomed… Nobody is going to expect greatness… We just want honesty, we just want your truth, hence the name lets speak truth. Bring your openness, bring an open mind… Be ready to hear folks, be real with it.”
This event is still accepting submissions. The deadline to sign up is Friday, February 24. Submissions are open to the general public, students and faculty. Performers are allotted five minutes for their performance. This event is open for anyone that loves to express this creativity though performance. Anyone interesting in participating can contact Christie Williams at wlchrist@nova.edu or 954-262-2106, or Lethesha Harris at lethesha@nova.edu or 954-262-5476.
A message Adejare has for new or returning performers is, “What we have to give to the world has meaning. It’s not just for our own sake. Our words have purpose. There are people out there that are listening and need to hear what it is that we have to share. All of the performers that have performed. All the performers that will perform. You know, you make the night. We make the night.”
This event is a free and open to the general public. For more information of this event, contact the Public Library Services Reference Desk at 954-262-5477.
