The Center for Intercultural Student Development (CISD) Ambassadors hosted their annual Poetry Jam in celebration of Black History Month on Friday, Feb. 21. The Poetry Jam, an informal event featuring spoken word performances, provided a creative outlet for students to express themselves and share their original poetry with a community.
But two days prior to the event, on Feb. 19, the Ambassadors also held a poetry workshop event in hopes to better prepare folks for the Poetry Jam.
LeMarr Jackson, the director of youth ministry at Madison Square Church in Grand Rapids, was invited by the CISD Ambassadors to both the workshop and Jam to share his insights on poetry and spoken words. In this one-hour session, Jackson equipped students with valuable knowledge on the art of poetry writing and performance, encouraging them to eventually present their works as spoken word.
During the session, Jackson introduced students to various poetic devices, such as idioms, imagery and alliteration. But he also shared the unique elements of spoken word performance — like emotion, tone and energy. He emphasized that the true power of poetry lies in the performance, as it is the act of speaking aloud that breathes life into the written words.
Jackson reminded students that poetry is more than just crafting metaphors or incorporating idioms. It is about creating a sense of community while performing, modulating one’s voice to emphasize particular words and connecting with the audience through every heavy line and meaningful pause.
Poetry often serves as a vital outlet for self-expression, offering a space for those whose voices are not always heard. In the context of Black History Month, it is especially important to reflect on the work of many Black figures who have used poetry as a powerful tool for resistance — such as Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise and Langston Hughes’ The Negro Speaks of Rivers and I — works that speak out against the painful history of discrimination against Black people.
On Friday night, the basement floor of Hekman Library was filled with students, along with the delightful scent of pasta. Jackson confidently took the stage and captivated the audience with his performance through speaking his poems, each one ending with the audience’s encouraging finger snaps, setting the tone for the next performer.
Following Jackson’s performance, students, CISD faculty and Ambassadors took their turn at the mic, sharing their own poems or works by well-known poets and figures. Again, each performance was joined with snaps, head nods and appreciative “mmhm” sounds from the audience, creating an atmosphere of support and connection.
Jackson closed the event with his poem about superheroes. He has been a contributor to Think Christian, an online magazine that explores pop culture through a Christian lens, and most of his written articles contain the pop-culture of superhero movies. His love for superheroes was evident as he passionately delivered it with perfect intonation and confidence.
Jackson’s message was to remind the audience that like superheroes, this Poetry Jam was not about who could deliver the best line but about the courage and will to speak. Each person has their own story to tell, and the event was a celebration of the bravery it takes to share it.
