I’m super nervous right now I’m gonna be completely honest my stomach is doing
completely honest my stomach is doing
completely honest my stomach is doing that weird thing where you’re not sure
that weird thing where you’re not sure
that weird thing where you’re not sure if you have to use the bathroom yet but
if you have to use the bathroom yet but
if you have to use the bathroom yet but I’m gonna just rock with it um I don’t
I’m gonna just rock with it um I don’t
I’m gonna just rock with it um I don’t know if you guys can tell I’m black and
know if you guys can tell I’m black and
know if you guys can tell I’m black and clapping is a kind of thing that I think
clapping is a kind of thing that I think
clapping is a kind of thing that I think I was born doing since 1987 for the rest
I was born doing since 1987 for the rest
I was born doing since 1987 for the rest of us who are a little bit more I’ll say
of us who are a little bit more I’ll say
of us who are a little bit more I’ll say pigma challenged I’m going to need your
pigma challenged I’m going to need your
pigma challenged I’m going to need your help with this all right when I say the
help with this all right when I say the
help with this all right when I say the word clap you need to clap once okay
word clap you need to clap once okay
word clap you need to clap once okay just once let’s try it out okay clap
just once let’s try it out okay clap
just once let’s try it out okay clap that’s like sexy let’s try it one more
that’s like sexy let’s try it one more
that’s like sexy let’s try it one more time clap nice I’m dedicating this
time clap nice I’m dedicating this
time clap nice I’m dedicating this performance to my grandmother
performance to my grandmother
performance to my grandmother Inez Tilly Jorge who was passionate and
Inez Tilly Jorge who was passionate and
Inez Tilly Jorge who was passionate and I believe that when we do what we do and
I believe that when we do what we do and
I believe that when we do what we do and we believe in what we do we need to be
we believe in what we do we need to be
we believe in what we do we need to be passionate so clap if you are alive
passionate so clap if you are alive
passionate so clap if you are alive today if the Sun has tiptoed across the
today if the Sun has tiptoed across the
today if the Sun has tiptoed across the horizon and danced on your skin if your
horizon and danced on your skin if your
horizon and danced on your skin if your heart isn’t managed to beat a baseline
heart isn’t managed to beat a baseline
heart isn’t managed to beat a baseline so magnificent clap if you don’t have to
so magnificent clap if you don’t have to
so magnificent clap if you don’t have to look for a reason to live if you are
look for a reason to live if you are
look for a reason to live if you are still looking if you are trying to make
still looking if you are trying to make
still looking if you are trying to make sense of it all if you are still here
sense of it all if you are still here
sense of it all if you are still here clap and don’t ever ever snap at least
clap and don’t ever ever snap at least
clap and don’t ever ever snap at least not on my stage and not with my rage or
not on my stage and not with my rage or
not on my stage and not with my rage or not with my joy or my filled please just
not with my joy or my filled please just
not with my joy or my filled please just come get your fill if you know that
come get your fill if you know that
come get your fill if you know that these words can kill if you are not
these words can kill if you are not
these words can kill if you are not prepared so clap and please don’t snap
prepared so clap and please don’t snap
prepared so clap and please don’t snap clap do it for the poet who was
clap do it for the poet who was
clap do it for the poet who was experiencing love for the very first
experiencing love for the very first
experiencing love for the very first time for the dancer who never thought
time for the dancer who never thought
time for the dancer who never thought that he would move again for each story
that he would move again for each story
that he would move again for each story told do it for the young man who turned
told do it for the young man who turned
told do it for the young man who turned mountains into mice shadows into lights
mountains into mice shadows into lights
mountains into mice shadows into lights who transformed hot our takes into
who transformed hot our takes into
who transformed hot our takes into sonnets for the little girl who
sonnets for the little girl who
sonnets for the little girl who discovered the Amazon in her voice who
discovered the Amazon in her voice who
discovered the Amazon in her voice who took to the microphone like a moth to a
took to the microphone like a moth to a
took to the microphone like a moth to a flame this ain’t
flame this ain’t
flame this ain’t we don’t do this to entertain you see I
we don’t do this to entertain you see I
we don’t do this to entertain you see I remember when I remember I remember when
remember when I remember I remember when
remember when I remember I remember when I didn’t think that I had a voice when I
I didn’t think that I had a voice when I
I didn’t think that I had a voice when I was convinced of this Western idea of a
was convinced of this Western idea of a
was convinced of this Western idea of a red white and blue nightmare turn dream
red white and blue nightmare turn dream
red white and blue nightmare turn dream turned fantasy he thought I wasn’t black
turned fantasy he thought I wasn’t black
turned fantasy he thought I wasn’t black enough wasn’t straight enough wasn’t man
enough wasn’t straight enough wasn’t man
enough wasn’t straight enough wasn’t man enough until I said enough and became
enough until I said enough and became
enough until I said enough and became loud enough put heart to paper and put
loud enough put heart to paper and put
loud enough put heart to paper and put this loosely fabric into my heart and
this loosely fabric into my heart and
this loosely fabric into my heart and bled out this understanding of
bled out this understanding of
bled out this understanding of declarations of experience you had the
declarations of experience you had the
declarations of experience you had the nerve to snap word clap if you can tell
nerve to snap word clap if you can tell
nerve to snap word clap if you can tell that this isn’t for you clap if you can
that this isn’t for you clap if you can
that this isn’t for you clap if you can tell that this is all for you this ain’t
tell that this is all for you this ain’t
tell that this is all for you this ain’t a shuck and jive poet for hire we don’t
a shuck and jive poet for hire we don’t
a shuck and jive poet for hire we don’t do this to entertain you this is for you
do this to entertain you this is for you
do this to entertain you this is for you who still can’t breathe for you who
who still can’t breathe for you who
who still can’t breathe for you who don’t really know why we can’t breathe
don’t really know why we can’t breathe
don’t really know why we can’t breathe this is for the fact that women are
this is for the fact that women are
this is for the fact that women are still somehow only earning 77% of their
still somehow only earning 77% of their
still somehow only earning 77% of their male counterparts clap if you’re ready
male counterparts clap if you’re ready
male counterparts clap if you’re ready to flip
to flip
to flip East Coast stomping rippin and Robbin
East Coast stomping rippin and Robbin
East Coast stomping rippin and Robbin New York North Carolina and Compton if
New York North Carolina and Compton if
New York North Carolina and Compton if you’re not sure why our news is still
you’re not sure why our news is still
you’re not sure why our news is still focusing on dark Cheetos tweets after he
focusing on dark Cheetos tweets after he
focusing on dark Cheetos tweets after he reactivated his Twitter accounts don’t
reactivated his Twitter accounts don’t
reactivated his Twitter accounts don’t snap this is bigger than our screens
snap this is bigger than our screens
snap this is bigger than our screens louder than a bomb and it deserves so
louder than a bomb and it deserves so
louder than a bomb and it deserves so much more than your oh I guess it’s like
much more than your oh I guess it’s like
much more than your oh I guess it’s like rats or poetry crap see this is real so
rats or poetry crap see this is real so
rats or poetry crap see this is real so was the heart brought to this stage
was the heart brought to this stage
was the heart brought to this stage don’t snap as if a poet didn’t just snap
don’t snap as if a poet didn’t just snap
don’t snap as if a poet didn’t just snap as if he cracked his heart and pop your
as if he cracked his heart and pop your
as if he cracked his heart and pop your perception of art wide open don’t snap
perception of art wide open don’t snap
perception of art wide open don’t snap as if these are just words as he each
as if these are just words as he each
as if these are just words as he each letter doesn’t burn don’t snap clap if
letter doesn’t burn don’t snap clap if
letter doesn’t burn don’t snap clap if you can see that this is all for you who
you can see that this is all for you who
you can see that this is all for you who knows what it feels like when a love can
knows what it feels like when a love can
knows what it feels like when a love can love like lava for those of you who want
love like lava for those of you who want
love like lava for those of you who want something real to hear real to listen to
something real to hear real to listen to
something real to hear real to listen to real to believe in for you who don’t
real to believe in for you who don’t
real to believe in for you who don’t bring umbrellas to monsoon season who
bring umbrellas to monsoon season who
bring umbrellas to monsoon season who don’t bring knives to gun fights close
don’t bring knives to gun fights close
don’t bring knives to gun fights close minds to open mics any shred of doubt to
minds to open mics any shred of doubt to
minds to open mics any shred of doubt to the Paramount so please don’t snap clap
you didn’t get a chance to tell us a
you didn’t get a chance to tell us a little bit of your story how did you get
little bit of your story how did you get
little bit of your story how did you get to this moment in terms of the work that
to this moment in terms of the work that
to this moment in terms of the work that you do in Lynchburg disclaimer once
you do in Lynchburg disclaimer once
you do in Lynchburg disclaimer once again I’m not from Lynchburg I’m from
again I’m not from Lynchburg I’m from
again I’m not from Lynchburg I’m from Jersey Newark New Jersey to be exact
Jersey Newark New Jersey to be exact
Jersey Newark New Jersey to be exact represented for Bricktown Brick City who
represented for Bricktown Brick City who
represented for Bricktown Brick City who Deville for those who don’t know I moved
Deville for those who don’t know I moved
Deville for those who don’t know I moved to Lynchburg in 2004 for college and I
to Lynchburg in 2004 for college and I
to Lynchburg in 2004 for college and I ended up staying because I met this tall
ended up staying because I met this tall
ended up staying because I met this tall South Carolinian Beauty who decided that
South Carolinian Beauty who decided that
South Carolinian Beauty who decided that I was cool enough for her to marry and
I was cool enough for her to marry and
I was cool enough for her to marry and we made two other people together um
we made two other people together um
we made two other people together um but at the heart of it my family is West
but at the heart of it my family is West
but at the heart of it my family is West Indian and with that I believe that with
Indian and with that I believe that with
Indian and with that I believe that with that experience I was able to experience
that experience I was able to experience
that experience I was able to experience a whole lot of beauty and magic and
a whole lot of beauty and magic and
a whole lot of beauty and magic and creativity and art shout out to my dad
creativity and art shout out to my dad
creativity and art shout out to my dad who put so much focus on art and music
who put so much focus on art and music
who put so much focus on art and music and passion into that and I feel that
and passion into that and I feel that
and passion into that and I feel that every young person needs to have that
every young person needs to have that
every young person needs to have that kind of access because who are we if we
kind of access because who are we if we
kind of access because who are we if we can’t lip-sync Bohemian Rhapsody in the
can’t lip-sync Bohemian Rhapsody in the
can’t lip-sync Bohemian Rhapsody in the shower right with that had the concept
shower right with that had the concept
shower right with that had the concept for an idea that we should be able to
for an idea that we should be able to
for an idea that we should be able to have these passions and exist in these
have these passions and exist in these
have these passions and exist in these passions without going to war does
passions without going to war does
passions without going to war does anybody remember the Oh 12 elections I
anybody remember the Oh 12 elections I
anybody remember the Oh 12 elections I can’t see your hands but I’m gonna
can’t see your hands but I’m gonna
can’t see your hands but I’m gonna assume that they’re all up a lot of
assume that they’re all up a lot of
assume that they’re all up a lot of dissent was felt between what people
dissent was felt between what people
dissent was felt between what people believed and what they wanted to see
believed and what they wanted to see
believed and what they wanted to see people were passionate but we shouldn’t
people were passionate but we shouldn’t
people were passionate but we shouldn’t have to go to war and battle with each
have to go to war and battle with each
have to go to war and battle with each other based on these passions we should
other based on these passions we should
other based on these passions we should be able to discuss them engage in them
be able to discuss them engage in them
be able to discuss them engage in them explore the person sitting next to us in
explore the person sitting next to us in
explore the person sitting next to us in that we need to be able to listen to
that we need to be able to listen to
that we need to be able to listen to each other hence the idea for the
each other hence the idea for the
each other hence the idea for the listening and the listening is for those
listening and the listening is for those
listening and the listening is for those who may not have seen it in the program
who may not have seen it in the program
who may not have seen it in the program yet it’s a nonprofit organization that
yet it’s a nonprofit organization that
yet it’s a nonprofit organization that was started back in 2013
was started back in 2013
was started back in 2013 I guess unofficially it was inspired by
I guess unofficially it was inspired by
I guess unofficially it was inspired by an album by the hip hop group called
an album by the hip hop group called
an album by the hip hop group called little brother if you’re hip-hop fan you
little brother if you’re hip-hop fan you
little brother if you’re hip-hop fan you should know that album because one of
should know that album because one of
should know that album because one of the songs is encouraging people to
the songs is encouraging people to
the songs is encouraging people to consider what’s going on behind the
consider what’s going on behind the
consider what’s going on behind the lyrics behind the beats of the music
lyrics behind the beats of the music
lyrics behind the beats of the music that we listen to to dig deeper and I
that we listen to to dig deeper and I
that we listen to to dig deeper and I feel that we as a culture as a community
feel that we as a culture as a community
feel that we as a culture as a community should probably start doing that and it
should probably start doing that and it
should probably start doing that and it starts with people who are very young
starts with people who are very young
starts with people who are very young very energetic who have a lot to say I
very energetic who have a lot to say I
very energetic who have a lot to say I just need to start listening to each
just need to start listening to each
just need to start listening to each other
other
other so thank you for your work and thank you
so thank you for your work and thank you
so thank you for your work and thank you for your words
for your words
for your words [Applause]
”
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