Afrekete Violet Hour Open Mic Night (Academic Enrichment): Open Mic, Open Flight! (2 points)

     

    On October 30th, I had the great opportunity to be a spoken word performer for Afrekete's Violet Hour Open Mic, promoting love, creativity, and solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community. This event had the goal of allowing people to creatively express themselves through song, poetry, or any other form of speech, speaking on topics such as love, loneliness, identity, and acceptance. Whether you're a part of the community or not, Violet Hour served as a safe space for people to come together, connect, and share talents, thoughts, and ideas.

    Like with any Open Mic, I was thrilled to take part in sharing my poetry with other people. This time, however, the crowd and environment felt different. Right when I took my first step into the NASA Auditorium, I felt welcomed and encourage to share my voice with everyone. Sharing my poetry always brings me joy, so getting to share my joy and passion with others who think like me is absolutely incredible. The night even included musical acts, one specifically from a newly formed band of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. With every song or musical piece, I felt the emotions they were trying to convey. Again, it was a night of free expression and community, one where anyone and everyone could shed their armor and allow themselves to be vulnerable with the rest of the world. 

    It was difficult finding a Habit of Mind that fit with this experience, but one that made sense was Civic Orientation, where we use our skills to positively contribute to our community. My poetry is a gift, but being able to share it in a way that lets people know who I am is a skill. Some people develop it earlier than others, but it always shows when artists pour their all into their pieces and show the world who they are, inside and out. My skill of spoken word inspires other people, giving them a chance to think and talk about topics they probably never had the chance to discuss in-depth. My work also gives a sense of community and sisterhood. By being vulnerable, I encourage other people to meet me halfway. In other words, it's an artistic way of saying "I showed you who I am, it's okay to show me who you are." Even if I cannot express myself through common speech, my poetry will always serves as a reminder of who I am and what I'm capable of.

By Caitlyn Hickman '29