 My name is Rajni Eddins and I am the Director and Minister of Culture and Empowerment of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and the Richard Kemp Center. And we are commencing this evening's event, Our Story, Our Power, a fundraiser and a black artist showcase to take black youth and black families to witness their heritage and history at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Let's make a lot of noise for that. As Marcus Garvey has said, a people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. You can make some noise for that. That's alright. I don't think that man be alone. Somebody say back to your roots. Say back to your source. Back to your source. That's right. That's right. We're going to be well flourishing and furnishing that knowledge and that history, that crucial base that honors our people to grow and prosper and see the beauty and brilliance of the people that we come from and how powerful our role is and how many people know how important that is. It's to see yourself reflected and to have opportunities to learn about your story through people who reflect you and who actually care for you and are invested in who you are and who you are becoming. We don't always have that opportunity so it's very important that we not take this moment for granted. I want to get this whole thing started with a beautiful video that shows a number of the youth we will witness tonight expressing in heartfelt ways why it's so important and valuable to attend this trip. So I hope you enjoy this and with no further ado please hold tight. My name is Yvonne. And why are you excited to attend this trip to the National Museum of African American Heritage and Culture? I'm excited because I want to know more about where my institution came from and what they had back then. I would like to know one thing about myself. I'm excited because I want to learn more about African American history. And why do you want to learn these things? I want to learn these things because I think it's important to know where you came from and what the people before you had and to be important to you. Because teachers and other people in your life sometimes don't really teach their children about... What do you think will come back from that trip? I'll come back to the trip with new memories and learning things other than more about science. I feel like I'll come back with more knowledge and this will be our first time explaining the difference between... What do you need to do with this knowledge? I'll probably use it the better month though. I'll probably use it to educate more people. My name is Andrea. And Andrea, why are you excited to travel to the National Museum of African American Heritage and Culture? I am excited to learn about my history and about my family. I'm also excited because I want to learn more about people that were on the Earth before me. Black people that were on the Earth before me. I didn't get much knowledge or the work that they've been doing to me. What do you want to learn about this history? I want to learn more about my family. And I think that if I dig deeper into black history, I could learn a lot of different things about where I was from with these traditions, like everything I'd have had, and about people that I'd have hated and felt and loved for a long time ago. And I'm hoping that this trip will give me the new knowledge about black people. And I'm hoping that this trip can help open my eyes on the way to people who pass through these things. And to get more understanding of what's actually going on in the world right now. And what do you think you will come away with, returning from this trip to the museum? My inspiration, because I've been working as a coach for a while now. This trip to the museum was going to give me new ideas for poems. And I'm going to learn a lot about black people that did amazing things that were wrote, but didn't give the credit that they deserve. And I'm hoping that this trip is going to be very fun. And I know it will, because I'm going to learn more about people who did amazing things that kept me and all the other black people in the world right now from being slaves and from working millions of hours a day. Because of them, now we have a little bit of privilege in which we can kind of look through. But now it's up to us to keep this going and not just let go of all the progress that we've made over the years. Make some noise one more time. Come on, give it up for those brothers and sisters. Some say knowledge is power. Say history is power. That's right, that's right. I want to welcome up a very special brother to share a few words with us before we get into the active piece of the black artist showcase in here. Some more of these fabulous artists bless us with their words. Please give a warm round of applause for the director of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance. Give it up for brother Mark Hughes. What's up, y'all? That video made me cry a little bit. Did that video touch you? Man, is she in here? Where you at? What's your name? Drea? Yeah, yeah, making all that noise. Y'all side girls, give it up to her, give it up, give it up for her. All of them, all of them, all of them, all of them, all of them. You know what? I'm so happy to be in here in the house with y'all because it's been a long week for me. Before we get started, first I want to just give you some housekeeping tips. How many people have been in this house before? Everybody good? Everybody good? Nope. Got some people right here who ain't been in the house. Bathroom, right on the other side of this wall. So all you got to do is just go, you look really familiar. Bathroom on the other side of this wall here. Who else? Other thing is, you know that this is not a smoking facility. If something goes down, which is probably unlikely that it will, just go out the same way you came in. You can also get out these doors right here. We're going to be in here a minute. There's only a few of us in here today, but you know what? There are a lot of us watching. There's a lot of us watching. I was just struggling to get us streaming on Facebook. I haven't gotten there yet, but we do have CCTV in the house. I'm excited. Charlie G and Noni up in here. That's my boy. We kick it together all of the time. And here's the thing is that with what we're doing here, this is so incredibly important. This is a crucial turning point in a lot of work that we're doing. I'm going to tell you why in just a minute. I'm going to take my time because I've been told I have seven minutes. So that means I'm going to take ten minutes. But there are some shout outs that I want to give to some folks in the house. First, I just want to give a shout out to Main Street Landing who let us in the house. They let us in the house. I don't know why they let us in here, but here we are. We're in Main Street Landing. This is great. These people are amazing and they're supporting this work. So don't forget to give those guys a shout out even outside of this place. Remember that they're watching, that they're looking at the work that we're doing and they're supporting us. They're not just sitting up here on a hill. They are doing the work. So give a shout out to them. There's also some other folks that are really, really, really important to me that I want to give out a shout out. First to the Lord God Himself, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That may be offensive to you, but keep it moving, honey. That's where I'm at. I also want to give a shout out to my lovely wife who's sitting back there with my granddaughter and her son. And I've got some other family who are in and around here. Give it up for Christine Hughes. How else would I be here? I didn't even know how to put my shoes on this morning. Okay, so there are some very special people in here and I really, you know, all of y'all are special. Don't get me wrong, but these are special people, okay? Vincent Mitchell sitting in the back here. He is our program manager at the Richard Kimpson. He's also used services. Vincent! Love you, man. Love you. Christine, Christine, I'm going to come back to you because that is the director of the Richard Kim Center. Okay, just I'll let y'all know. You can clap for her again. It's okay. Is Isaac Owuso in the house? I don't see him. Isaac Owuso is missing and duly noted. Okay, but he is our director of community engagement and support. You can clap for him anyway. And you've already met Rajni. Rajni, we call him the Minister of Cultural Empowerment. Okay, so give it up for Rajni again. Minister of Cultural Empowerment. I just have a quick note for you before I get going is dinner in a movie. Did you get that thing? It's a dinner in a movie. What we decided to do is pull back on a lot of the programming and hit the reset button and just start to be able to really start looking more at quality at what we're doing. Really. And so what we decided to do is let's just come out soft. And we said, let's just get the community come out. So this is March 23rd. This is next week over at this on Thursday and next week over at the Richard Kim Center. It's really cool. You just come in. It's at six o'clock. You eat. You bring your people with you. You eat. We got a movie. I'm not going to tell you which one it is yet, but it's it's a pretty cool. I do know which one it is. You really want to know. I know you want to know, but I'm not going to tell you which one it is. But so please come out. Okay, because this is this is an opportunity. This is not just about having dinner or about having watching a movie. It's really about us getting together. What we don't do enough of in community because we always, oh, why I got to be there? Who going to be there? What are we going to do? Just come out and see us and hang out and let's cultivate some relationships and get to know one another. Okay. I mean, we get that we need to do more of that. Right. Give yourself a hand. Okay. So here's all kind of stuff starting to pop off chess club. Black artist showcase, black artist showcase, black artist showcase, black artist show. You can clap. Black artist show. There's that black artist market. Jada is in the house. Omega Jada is in the house right there. She's just crushing that. And new offer missionary Baptist church is meeting over there. There's a men's group that Vincent is doing. Who's that, Jeff? Yeah. Hey, just so it's good when you see somebody walk in, you just know who they are. This is what we're trying to cultivate. So a lot of stuff going on. So here's the serious part. So the work of the Vermont racial justice alliance, you're going to see some noise coming out about the legislative agenda. And that's true. And we're doing a lot of stuff here in Burlington as well. Some of you know, we already have a reparations task force in Burlington. We're doing that work. And you have heard of the work we're doing, the racism, public health emergency, not just here across the county, but also there's a joint legislative resolution that came out. But that's just policy work, Operation Phoenix Rise. But the community engagement and support stuff, what happened over the pandemic is, is we began to see and listen, young folks, because this is about y'all too. This is really about the young folks. Because we begin to see that systemic racism and the impact that it has on us, it's not just about, you know, this pie in the sky, let's, you know, do some systemic work and create some policy change. Because every single day, every single day, what we have is we have huge impacts from housing disparities, from education disparities, from employment, economic development, health services access, transportation, all disparities insidiously, simultaneously, the outputs of these are affecting these little black kids, these little black children, and us black and brown folks, and some of us other folks who are on the margins, even our white brothers and sisters. And what we're seeing is that that causes a lot of stress. And we saw that COVID laid that bear right in front of us. We saw it. And we also saw how the government can do its job and take care of its people when they want to. Didn't you see that? We didn't have homeless people at that time. People were being cared for. But what we also saw is we saw these huge disparities presenting themselves in all of these systems that we started to see more and more clearly the impact of systemic racism and how some are just not making ends meet as best as others. So systemic racism is a real thing. And we saw that more than ever. We've got all of the data. You go to our websites, data, data, data, data, but we see the impact. So when we start talking about community engagement and support, this is the work we do on the ground. This is the work. This is where we find our people and we help them wherever they are. So whether it is our youth that are in here today or whether it is our mental wellness because we know that there is a mental health crisis that's happening. You thought you were just coming for good news, didn't you? There's a mental health crisis that's happening across the United States and we know that some people are impacted more than others because they feel it first and worse and it lasts longer for them. That's why we're doing the work that we're doing. So the outreach and education, part of the things that we're learning, we want you to know because we want each one to teach one. We want our white brothers and sisters to go back into their homes, into their churches, into their families and speak to that uncle that you usually don't talk to at Thanksgiving. That one that's rattling off, spewing all that stuff out. So we want you to do the work, which by the way is our legislative agenda mantra this year. Do the work this year as well. So this is fun, this is great, this is a celebration because we're going to have a blast. We're going to D.C. We're going to D.C. If you're sitting here and you don't give a dime, we're still going to D.C. I promise you that. We need your money, but we're going. And here's the thing, this is awesome because it has never been done before. We're doing things. The Richard Kemp Center has never been done before. There's never been a black owned and operated community center that's focusing on our wellness, our youth and our cultural empowerment in the city of Burlington. You can clap. So as I rock my shirt tonight, because somebody told me to wear my gear and so I suited up. And if you don't got one, shame on you. And as you guys settle in and just check out the talent and the passion of these youth, I also want you just to dig down into your heart and figure out ways not just with your wallet, I like your wallet, you can do that. But I'm just saying, you know, figure out other ways that you can get engaged with us. Because we need you. We want you. We want you. We feel your presence. I see everybody's here. People are smiling. It's been a long week. You're like, oh, God, I wish he'd sit down. But there is something going on in Burlington. I'm telling you, there is something happening amongst us right now. There is an energy happening. There are some youth that are rising up. There are some programs and services that we're envisioning. There is nothing that we can't do together with these youth in Burlington. So buckle up. We're going to be around for a few minutes. I'm going to be back there and messing around with that camera. Isaac Awusu. There he is right there. That's our director of community engagement and support. Isaac Awusu. I just ask you one favor. Everybody has identified themselves. Those who are on the alliance team, can you just raise your hand? I don't care who you are in the room. Don't leave tonight without at least bumping into one of us and shaking us. Find a kid, hug a kid or something like that. Don't get crazy because, you know, don't hug them for a second sideways. But find one of us and drop a card. Give a shout. Give some contact information. Just let's cultivate those relationships. Let's do this together, okay? Thank you for coming out tonight. Have a great time. Show some love and more time for Brother Mark Hughes. It's a blessing. I want to keep that same positive energy as we enter the space. I want to welcome up a very special person in our community and in this planet who I've had the privilege to witness burgeoning their gifts. And community, they were the recipient of the first place youth poetry competition award this past year. Give it up for that. They were also a page at the state house and the legislation that they selected to have health, excuse me, daycare for and childcare universally for youth earlier than kindergarten was selected as that to be chosen to put on the state house floors. I'll give it up for that as well. Make a lot of noise for this person. Make a dynamic change. Only starting off their journey. Don't stop until they get here. Give it up for Nadia Frazier. Can you guys hear me? Okay, cool. I have four poems for you guys today. Three of which are old pieces, but good pieces. And one of which is brand new. So, yeah. All right, let's start off strong with let me be. Do you want me to paint my skin a shade lighter for you? Would you like me to use salt and pepper only on our food? How do you feel about my hair? Should I blow it out and damage my roots for you? Do I make you feel a certain way? Am I too white for you? Too black for you? Too mildly middle for you? Do I have too much history? Do I talk too much? Do I not speak up enough? Should I have said more, done more, done less? Would it be better if I just didn't exist? Would it be better if I took up as little space as possible? Take up none. Leave more air for you to breathe. Breathe. Can I breathe? Can I have some? Questions I don't ask because I worry what you'll say. Should I worry? Will you say what I pray you don't think about me? Me? What about me? Can I talk more, talk less? Can I sleep in? Do I have that luxury? Can I drink from that fountain? Talk to that person across the room. Do I have the freedom to exist beyond your living room? Beyond your kitchen? Beyond the trap of the mind and the imagination? Can I be more than just your shadow? Than that voice in your head? Will it ever be a person? Someone with a color and a smile and freckles and beauty marks? Can I be more than a two-dimensional shape on the pavement? Forget living your life. I don't want to be in your shadow. Let me live. Let me breathe. Let me be. Thank you. This next poem... Well, actually, I'll give you a choice. Do you want to hear something called socks? Or something called raisins? Socks? Okie dokie, socks. Okay, so... Socks. I never understood socks. Or laundry. Or homework. Or shapes. Fractals and specific. Because they're never ending. Forever changing and moving like life itself. Life is strange, too. Constantly coming up with new ways to give you a scare. Like hiccups. Always just suddenly there. And then not. Always you got a job. Hiccup, surprise again. You quit because your boss made you work overtime. Hiccup, surprise. Your mom's in town. Hiccup, surprise. Your wife's pregnant. Oh, fun. Another 10 pairs of socks will lose in the washing machine. Why do socks get lost? Why not a shirt? They're both socks at that. It's always just one. Separating itself from the other. And then somehow fading out into... Nothing. Why do we even wear socks? What is the point of wearing pants on your feet? To keep them warm? No. Shoes can do that? Stylish? Maybe. But if they're so needed, why do they always disappear when thrown in for a wash? No one knows. Socks are confusing. And that's that. No questions asked. Okay. This next one is called... She always wondered why she was different. Why her hair would curl into rings the color of coffee. Why her eyes were the color of an oak tree spark rather than a pale blue. Why her lips were a full shape of Cupid's bow. She's got skin the color of caramel and a heart made of gold. And she's seen more than the average white man and she's still standing, still living. Her smile holds the secrets of her past and her eyes look past the surface to give everyone a chance. She is woman. She is black. She's beautiful. And resilient. She's her own perfect. With the beautiful skin and soul she's got, she's her own protector. With the dark spots that protect her knees from her falls and the tree bark colored eyes to pronounce the light shining from her soul. She's her own lover. With her lips that kiss her own hand every day and her heart that heals her mind when broken. She's her own defender. With the will in her heart and the sight that she sees, she's her own perfect. Because now she understands she's your own perfect and no one else's. Alright, so this next one and the last one is the new one and it's called White Plight to Fight. I wrote it in response to something that I heard in Social Studies class last Friday because we're starting our civil rights unit and we were listening to the 1619 podcast by the New York Times and one of the quotes that really stood out to me was that they had been made black by those who believed themselves to be white by Nicole Hannah-Jones and I just thought that to be really interesting and we looked more into it and it's like, it's crazy because we are all the same. Like we're all one. The only reason that we have these different like outer surfaces is because like we back way back, we all, we like separated and we moved to like different areas of the world and we adapted to whatever environment that we had but we are all one in the same and that quote just really spoke to me personally so this is what I came up with for that. They had been made black by those who believed themselves to be white white, white. I was and am what you are a body filled with blood, bones and water, rivers of blue run through my veins into my heart which only ever cares to give. I have a soul sorry. I have a seal of rubber stretched over my hands, arms, legs and toes. It's painted. Painted the colors from my ancestors lands and oceans that flow fast and slow. Deep blues purples, grays, browns and blacks the shades fill my face and cover my hands with a sense of a regal and royal past. Soft, silky strings pour out of my, pour like rain out of my head, framing framing my shape in my face brightening my eyes and lightening up my face. I was and am what you are a thing that walks on legs of two or four, three or one but the enslaved still get none our backs ache with the weight of our chains our history, our story our glory, our glory bagged and sold to the rich our glory pounded and grounded into the ground like it's dirt, not the safe and oily soil that it is. I was and am what you are. I wear clothes cut from a cloth that only we can wear a cloth made and threaded by the hands of our mother and our mother's mother and her mother before her and so on we wear our cloth proudly. It's warm and keeps us safe. Safe from the harm that you told us no longer existed but when the end man with the black hair and the black eyes decided to sit at the black marble counter in a no blacks bar next to a white man with too dark of skin to be considered just barely tan you had a cow and not the cow with black spots because oh lord forbid that everything and anything with the N or B word in it is false, untrue dirty, gross, unfortunate broken, hurt enslaved. I was and am what you are. I am black. I am white. I am Irish. I am Spanish. I am alive. But why isn't he? Let's hear one more time for Nadia Frazier. Very powerful. Thank you much for sharing that. I want you to keep that same love and positive energy coming for the next artist to bless us. I have lived here in Burlington for now almost 13 years at the end of this month. Lucky number 13. We made it. And I have had the good fortune to be able to connect with so many different amazing youth and see them blossom and grow into their expression and have profound impacts on community and continue to shine their light in amazing ways and that definitely goes for this next person as well. I've known her and her family since literally day one in this community she has been a light in this world and a force of nature challenging society to transform in dynamic ways and I know she has a lot more to bring in the years to come. Don't stop clapping until you get to the stage. Give it up for Zanavia Wilcox. Come on. Bring her up y'all. Can you hear me? So I got two pieces this morning I woke up found out it was St. Patrick's Day. I usually I remember but I totally forgot. But I was able to go back and remember our history in the history of Jamaica and got to hear a couple words from some black Irish folk which really sat with me but basically I wrote this poem a while ago when I was coming back into town called Poet Body. And this is just kind of speaking about kind of the history that I learned of poets and I actually found out that the Irish had their own poems as well that reflected into songs and hymns which were very beautiful and those black Irish folk who were also exiled end up using the same hymns and songs and writings to get them through their hard times as well so it's really beautiful how music transcends people. So yeah, took a trip back where I came from just to see who's still rooting or if maybe they've seen her the grass fruited don't need green to see the bigger picture much greener these roots cannot be uprooted grounded love founded I said what I said in the city of the garden you can't sell out for the dead God body, heaven tree I don't need heavy arms or body guards to talk about artillery we here and if they knew of Popper we see this shit has passed down generations heard the storm was coming thunder just ain't the same we lighten up the whole block won't let these politicians claim fame we moving forward and waiting for niggas to wake up ooh, he is the same now they touchin' toes waiting to see if time's up made my mind up we don't die we multiply do the math this is a God body, poet body the future present in the past enough pain to write soldier on my epitaph never thought to say demons you need an empath we comin' for everything, give me this this and that piece by piece can't you see we the tools to success to success we never lack back to back back to back to black to back to black to black black and black it's just a fact and that's poet body so I totally forgot the cursing I'm so sorry kids I'm so sorry sorry right, right, right I'm just like oh god this one right here was modeled after one of my favorite poems in one of my favorite albums this is gonna be in my book it's by Kendrick Lamar it's like a little poem but it goes this dick ain't free basically a commentary on what it means to be a slave to society and it's very beautiful if you haven't heard it I'll listen to it again after this because it's really awesome so alright will act like all of a sudden this dick ain't free like I ain't putting an early deposit regardless this ain't expensive this art relentless I stuck to my grind like I had the time remember the days I was loveless and lonely I held mine I held mine like I ain't had enough to carry but it was lightweight though see I was taught to puff up my chest and raise my shoulders because I ain't food for novolta or crow culture comes with cadence that don't need political correctness might come back quick they ask who's next in charge you a fool still pretending see most these people needy but needing a leader to follow so scared of their shadow how though the best reflection of you could turn out very powerful your destiny your own I know what I've been shown I'm lying hearted seeking peace through jaw only jaw knows we must come together high tide or low trust I move a straight pressure there's nothing more to discuss the blueprint and they asking what's the plan I didn't get this from my uncle saying I ain't take no pledge we know this rock steady baby like Aretha said so in this poem I'm a poet and in this round we ain't dead creation with the steady drop coming straight for your head or bumping through your speaker because I'm gonna be the last person y'all drove mad but the first to ever see it give it up one more time for sisters and navy I'm gonna make sure I get my autograph copy somebody say alright say keep shining say do your thing that's right that's right we can keep that same love and positive energy coming up for some other very special sisters who I've known for quite some time one I've known since they arrived here in the world literally on their first entrance into this globe into this universe they won the youth poetry competition last year second place the first time they ever performed they had a standing ovation for a poem they wrote called human over at democracy creative the third time they performed they was getting paid over at city hall park commission to write poems on father's day and they just on a level in terms of their creativity amazing ways dynamic ways of showing up in community I'm very inspired and excited to introduce you to them their names are Amina and Andrea and they go by A plus so give it up and don't start clapping to the stage come on bring them up love does this work? our skin is like a thorny rose not perfect but still beautiful but I'm not just my skin but radiant and beautiful within like a rose it symbols love with destiny on my side there's nothing I lack at first I thought it was just a tease but now you have my attention black skin is the most beautiful art being black does not decide my heart nor can it tear the world apart you expect me to extol the ones who slayed the ones before me the ones who took care of the land that's underneath your feet we are on our insistent road to freedom and you must remember it won't come to us you must go to it cut up it's not time to sit the sun hid behind the clouds knowing it could not shine as bright as the rising magical moon dim light can only be seen in the darkest night melanin is gold and blackness is right I'm afraid of the ghostly venom of the night viper slowly seeps down the bright yellow shine of sunset quick to cover the entire night sky I look through my window as I wonder my cage like a bird is open why do I not long to get out my life is straight ahead I hear my father's voice beautiful sun kissed people that's me the window calls me but my mind says otherwise my curls straight down my back shiver as my heart PJs and me slowly make the descent from my bed to the window I hop down the very short jump between me and the ground the stars glow as ancestors beckon me to move forward the forest is alive I hear the chirp chirp chirping of a cricket something startles me from this quiet paradise I look toward the grassy beyond my heart is begging me to go further always follow your heart I slowly make my way into the grasslands wow I explain a beautiful range of wild animals are spread across the plains like in a painting I am fearless city my dear home Africa every moment I work in these fields picking cotton and wheat I think of the dry green lands not a speck of snow here in the city no morals, no family being treated like an animal cries in separation, hate and segregation murders over who sits where I sit in peace in love in this place I wonder why they brought me here to torture and harass, to kill and to beat to show me sass this one doesn't have a name yet but I'm just gonna this place is not my utopia the wind and zephyrs and gentle breeze been changed upon the restless seas this place is not my home I blive that somewhere there is a better place if beauty is what I seek time will show no answer I have many moods today I'm careful but I will not be scared to speak out and speak up I don't just have one place where I can be me masks only protect us from catching something even with the mon we will still be us, ourselves the people who were first before the robin we were restless the green blue oceans though we didn't wake up to get the worm we are already at our highest heights what is beyond this love quick and rippled like a skipped pebble my heart sank down with it to a body of water no smaller than a bathtub the perfect temperature as I weighed in the warm water hugs me close like a mother to a child I am up to my arms now I take the longest blade of grass and slowly unearth it out I hula hoop twice with it then throw it into the gaping mouth where the water meets the sea like raindrops down a car window quick and agile I challenge the moon to erase back home again my imagination like a pen on paper never running out of ink one word written down smack down the golden sea of memories the time on my pocket watch is still correct I imagine myself back after something cooking I see the parade of hungry children following close behind far away in the graveyard ancestors stir peering out behind their garnished graves trying to find where the smell is coming from as food is served attitudes change swiftly like a chameleon when the smell of fresh made everything touches their noses excitement as bold as a rocket pack embraces them as food touches the lips as hours speed by as beds quickly fill as tired children lay down to rest a metaphor sent from where freedom was this life was proof we are the makers of memories woman my voice is loud I am woman and proud queens seize your crown your warrior your words are your weapon be strong sisters like Ella, razor voice your mind and your choice like Mahalia, fly, and Maya do how you want to be done by this one's called gazelles and lions fine, before you dip you're stuck you know when you see a cloudy sky and instead of thinking about how dark it is all you can think about is the beauty like when you take a walk in the woods and you run past the spider web you stop in your tracks and are amazed about how all the intricate, unique little details fit together like the matching pieces of your favorite puzzle television gives no comparison to nature stop, skip a rock and watch the gleaming water ripple as the moon sparkles and shines down on it it will make you smile if you lay down on the soft grass and watch the trees transform into beautiful ranges of color as seasons go by quickly as swift as a fastest gazelle in all of the flatland plains easily gliding across the soft, bright green grass as other animals watch in the distance surprised by your courage the leader of the lion pack started the hunt and as if you read minds you ran into the shadows of the forest beyond but you felt a sudden sadness remembering you had done this before it always feels like the first time when you run away from your fears but now you decide that enough is enough you gallop on your own clouds of dust and show that you're finished with this rule that lions had to hunt gazelles maybe they are too freedom train I'm positively modest and I'm unforgettably honest and my words you have to digest always wearing MJ's best eye digress saving lives with family ties, slaving lives with candied lies, untried tries and cool dark knives, unfriendly skies and unwanted sighs God like a tire that made those brown black hands tire we're all kings and queens don't forget just call me sire songs that aspire, inspire us to be fly hires and then more sashay down that runway we got no time for some replay delays always talking about freedom when we're already here you need to make your own weapons come on sharpen your spear you caress my inner being I'm better as a door than a window cause then you can explore what we've been through in first sight of the lightful night we feel slight fright when the light of light despite me invite to be uprightly right many times we have fallen and we've forgotten about cotton we'll all have our happy ending cause I know we have sought one Martin Maya, Rosa Parks, historical people who made their marks Harriet Tubman on the underground road as black and beautiful broke the mold you are here to decide your fate respect your heritage and martyr the cost don't listen to them when they tell you get lost come on make some noise one time for A plus where you at beautiful alright let's keep that same love and positive energy coming up for the next artist she don't like when I do this but I'm gonna do it because she deserve it I want you to start on the bottom of your heart some recognition for the super metaphysician intergalactical fantastically compatible glorious numinous superhumanist bringing birth and life from the womaness you know what I'm saying bless the world with three new babies from the uterus give it up for Omega J there's no stop clapping as you get to the stage oh my god shout out to everybody that is here yes poetry yes say community yes say poetry don't start so trigger warning I be cussing so got a few repeaters but this new one has been sitting on my heart that I'm about to release a full track on and it is called defend yourself I'll share the hook in my verse because it does feature Rodney go ahead look at him yep Rodney yes okay yes alright so it goes a little like this hmm everybody has a right to defend themselves anyone who thinks different should check themselves send police after my son on some weaponized shits so I'm coming to you now as mom an activist I always taught my son it was his god given right the right to defend himself in case he was caught in a fight exact words would be defend yourself enough to make it home you never know what your face walking home alone like this one time these two bullies followed him down the street they was only walking home in order to meet with me these bullies couldn't let my son be black and be free had to fuck around and find out that's divine to me don't start no shit and won't be no shit and that's another thing I talked to every one of my kids the other parents had to lie act like he had weapons call in the police with made up accusations see here's the problem white lies cause black death a better option acknowledge your fault in this instead we both tried to leave y'all the fuck alone now y'all want to play victim bringing police into my home everybody has a right to defend themselves anyone who thinks different should check themselves send police after my son on some weaponized shit so I'm coming to you now as mom an activist anybody has a right to defend themselves anyone who thinks different should check themselves send police after my son on some weaponized shit I'm coming to you now as mom an activist thank you so it's International Women's Women's Month and I'm a woman I'm a mommy I'm a fem C and so because of that I have to do my favorite verse which is probably some of your favorites if it's not I don't care I'm gonna do it anyway it is it's on my Min Yang album and it is called Ply to the Fem C and it goes like ain't no level playing field when you come with a uterus maiden mother and crone what the fuck did you do to us I've stacked against us somehow make it to the top but fellas holding suckers want to put that to a stop big labels ain't trying to hear you unless you speaking on your sorry to disappoint but that's only for my booce ain't no disrespect to those who are completely the opposite my body is my temple so I constantly honor it either damn way we are more than our body for real my mind makes the dreams that my body fulfills creatively I design scrolls fit for a wordsmith on stage with the mic here the words that I will spit nobody's gyrating just my story penetrating the minds of those open to the message I'm spreading hip-hop supposed to be about community building whether man or a woman they contribute while willing going to do the next two will be a favorite so I'll leave that for last but this one I guess after what happened with my son recently this one has been repeating itself in my mind because what if it led to that it's called in the case of Dante right I got questions to the officer who called herself training another I've got questions as a taser yellow or black please I have more questions is if she resigns doesn't mean that she's guilty oh there are more questions does having an outstanding warrant mean he's deserving of death these accidental killings happen too often I'm losing my breath why do you act surprised whenever we approach act surprised whenever we protest will having a conversation give me the answers to these questions I'm tired of reading the news just to learn a repeated lesson the police still consider black people three fifths of a human what other reason is there for them to resort to shooting warning my son before going to school to comply so he will return the need to have this conversation makes my whole soul hurt but this is the reality of my blackness so allow me this time to ask this how long does it take to know the difference between a Glock and a taser last one is just an ode to me and black artists showcase and I call it black loyalty and it goes like this loyalty is the currency of the black community from the fierce mother to the supportive aunts from big brothers of little sisters that get to experience a prom boundaries are set and respected without question anything opposite the betrayal is seen as a lesson loyalty is honored in the black community black artists coming together supporting each other in business putting each other on if good showmanship is witnessed being one another's reference for future endeavors ultimately helping us all get that chatter loyalty is the lifeblood of the black community because we know how it feels to have our boundaries crossed with families separated by courts death and loss it was taught in the household from a very young age by the fierce black mom figure showing allegiance in loving ways we knew not to overstep to do that was disrespect as a result it rubbed off onto the siblings protecting the tribe from outsiders in building we knew that no one could break our bond no matter what time zone we're on we may even have our fight sometimes but I'll forget that fight if they need me anytime their enemy is my enemy their friend is my friend their loss is my loss their win is my win I am grateful for that loyalty in the black community it's a piece of black excellence to me thank you shout out to Rajni and the main street landing and black artist showcase get your phone over here give it one more time for omega j that's right that's right that's right somebody say power say beauty say community that's right that's right I'm going to share let's just give a round of applause for all the artists we heard tonight because I think it's important to recognize we are truly blessed I want to share a couple pieces with you before I close out but I just want you all to think deeply about what you're witnessing tonight because there's so much vitality and necessity to appreciate the meaning you know the purpose the beauty and the brilliance that's present here in this community and how it's so important to be nurtured and honored and affirmed so definitely speak life and light upon it and thankful that you all are here to witness together this next piece I want to share with you is a poem I always like to start with that's actually an ode to peace written by my mother called I like there to be a war where nobody came so it's a calling response piece so when you know your part please sing along it goes like this I like there to be a war where nobody came nobody came I like there to be a war where I like there to be a war where where the gunners didn't show and the flyers didn't flow like a river carrying death to those below where artillery moved too slow missed the boat and the whole dang show and we all refused to go I'd like there to be a war where I'd like there to be a war where I'd like there to be a war where I'd like there to be a war where where the infantry said no in crisp tones they taste of snow and the bombers stated clear they won't go in any year and sharp shooters closed their eyes what should the brass great surprise and there was peace with no reprise with no reprise we chose the peace with no reprise I'd like there to be a war where I'd like there to be a war where I'd like there to be a war where I'd like there to be a war where where we first would check ourselves see what our causes do foretell tweak where tweaking would do well then maybe check ourselves again remembering some crazy macho in does not signify you in does not signify you in signify you in so I'll say it once again I'd like there to be a war where I'd like there to be a war where I'd like there to be a war where we'd like there to be a war wouldn't you alright give it up for yourselves beautiful Amina can you pass me one of those books on top of that table back there grab me the one that says their names are mine and the one that says the words of this mortal tongue are just in the coded language that's cool too thank you see on this it has some of her ancestors on here so it's part of me bringing it to the space I want to share a piece with you called in our wake because I think it's necessary to share something that speaks to us and our resiliency as human beings and the vital value that we play in each other's lives so this is a piece that was shared right before just right as we were entering the pandemic y'all remember that yeah so this came from just speaking to what it feels like to be in this world now and what possibilities there still are in our wake inside these hands a golden chance within these walls a castle falls where all the peasants dance where does one turn in a house of mirrors if everywhere you look there you are if silence becomes too loud to hear over the bird songs when touch seems a distant stranger fuzzy and still wet with hazy memory no one said anything about the masks we'd wear over the masks we wore before and yet the sun still shines through gloom and flowers dare to bloom I saw a patch of onion a robin thrusting its chest out eyed me suspiciously as if to say what are you doing here it appears we are still here maybe we can outlive and outgrow our shadows maybe life will look a square and not notice our flinching imperceptibly or see it and still forgive us our immortal mortalities maybe today will be the day the walls part like seas and the ceilings raised and the light has its way with us maybe the rain will merge with the sweat born of our contained lives and become indistinguishable maybe we'll take ourselves out of ourselves cast away the plastic packaging and see something more alive something more fun to play with than fear and shallow mirrors maybe we can be friendly to ourselves even when the world is not watching when the ceaseless eye of Babylon has gone to sleep or long died we can be here creating musing imagining envisioning life as it could and can be and believe what it was and is in our wake I'm going to share this piece to honor my folks this is a class that we always like to close with because it speaks to the dignity and the beauty and the brilliance and the value and the meaning and the purpose and the glory of our people past, present and future it's called beautiful sun kissed people say beautiful sun kissed people walking miracles unfolding parables ancient scrolls and oceans love be a rose adorning your ears this morning will not bring mourning nor a thorn in tears this forever moment is sure enough fears say beautiful sun kissed people we are on the cusp of overthrowing overseers light years beyond heckles and jeers no more tanning our hides while Dr. Jekyll steers this love is sheer, transparent and near as deers are closest to here, say beautiful sun kissed people no conversation with us being equal just entertaining the thought is evil we weave full fully woven lost and found, traded and stolen but look what the eye beholden say beautiful sun kissed people golden, black and free and ebony, mahogany and mocha beat chocolate hog and dyes can't see rivers running melanin shallow men be monitoring but most high got all intents and purposes and sovereign skin watches as her poem ascends journeying and frolicking some of the breezes talking with the autumn wind how winter just won't break our stride too much springing step for us to hide our victory is justified say beautiful sun kissed people beautiful sun kissed people solar rides are odortized our currency ain't tokenized we close to those focused and wise whose feet arise on open skies eulogizing blessed ministry new horizon and desperate attempts at euphemizing our brilliance with feudal lies still whenever neutralized too many youth been euthanized fed sweetest prey to truth decay but truthfully our root for way has truth to say adorns the nights to lose today in beauty that the stars obey say beautiful sun kissed people I relate to you so musically and oh the joy it brings like lift every voice and sing tell earth and heaven ring ring with the harmonies of liberty let our rejoicing rise high as the listening skies let it resound loud as the rolling sea sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us sing a facing the rising of our new day and heaven ring in sacred oath cause after all we are betrothed to wondrous wonders of untold great grand good fortune that broke the mold can't buy us off with moldy bread we've more than crumbs inside our heads and crust just will not satisfy when baked with a loner eyes divine we walk and go and make grandma me deliciousness in every shade say sun kissed people say beautiful blessed bountiful sun kissed people sun kissed people okay I praise the path that plants our flag squarely an earth of self-made basking a glorious newfound approach that predators cannot encroach that parasites and wayward folks at a mere glimpse will cough and choke see this radiance is brighter still that every sun that lights a hill it calls from something deep within and pours from vocal chords and pen sun kissed people I'm nourished just to see you you furnish my living room with life abundant killing gloom you water every plant I have and flourish my gardens green and vast sing lullabies to my inner child and soothe our fears of foul defile you spray me with your sense of grace and lovingly embrace my face say I am you when we are raced in a human trace say sun kissed people I wake with your palms on my tongue in my chest I hear your drum from my lips I hear your hum it gets me high and drunk as rum on you I am forever spun your melanin are never shun with you I am forever one has there been better never one say sun kissed people sun kissed people I bequeath these owes to you your next of kin and children too children's children's children's view will yet still match your vibrant hue you supernatural sorcery to walk in temples gorgeously shame and cathedrals far and near make a white christ pale in the mirror sun kissed children you are it don't let nobody tell you shh unless they fertilize and soil to grow a rose regal and royal to don a rose upon a rose of red and black and green and gold so poetically bestowed it dignifies your inner throne sun kissed children marvelous miraculous magnificence outlandishly still unabashed unapologetic sass ultra-magnetic blackness the right goddess on your epitaph that's blasphemy surely right cause me no true gods never die sun kissed children you kiss my eyes with all that sunshine you applying I say I am in love for true cause you are me and I am you from head to toe and all between I love these princes kings and queens I even find you in my dreams and when I wake I vow to breathe and breathe the vow with every valent constant I can't pronounce announce to cosmos all your feats build castles for your sweet retreats loose feathered pillows black satin sheets a sacred lounge to rest your crown from all them wounds been crying out sun kissed people have no doubt and tell my story without your page her levy chapter be erased you sew my line so seamlessly we vibe on higher frequency so let's not love in secrecy my son kiss people we be is the key hey can I have all the artists come front row come front and center we gonna stand up I wonder you gotta give a standing round of applause for all these artists who blessed us this evening come on down y'all