Spoken Truths: Poetry + Spoken Word

Black history was passed down by word of mouth, stories retold over generations. The struggles and the strengths. Spoken word was formed. Hear history retold. Let this poetic journey broaden your knowledge of African American history. 4 Poets, 4 voices, one history. Kim B. Miller, Jeffrey Banks, Antwone Ross, and Shaquetta Nelson — finalists from Day Eight’s DC Poet Project poetry competition — take the stage together in this special event.

Kim B Miller is a poet and arts educator and was a finalist in the 2019 DC Poet Project. She has featured in poetry series in New York, Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia, California, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. She works as a poetry educator with DC Scores and at a women’s prison and has facilitated classes and workshops on Haiku locally and nationally.

Jeffrey “Big Homey” Banks has worked with artists including the late Fred “Rerun” Berry, gospel singer Maurette Brown Clark, Syleena Johnson, and has been featured in media including Essence Magazine, and Black Enterprise Magazine. An educator and consultant to non-profits, Jeffrey was a finalist in the 2018 DC Poet Project.

Antwone Ross, a native Washingtonian, has been writing poetry since he was a child. He has featured in poetry events including Art All Night, The DC Poet Project, and Pop Up Poetry (which he co-founded.) Antwone was a finalist in the 2019 DC Poet Project.

Shaquetta Nelson, known by her stage name R.E.I.L (real), was a finalist in the 2018 DC Poet project. At 16 she was one quarter of a slam team that competed in the Brave New Voices Youth Poetry Slam. She seeks inspiration from past and present life experiences to help the lives of other unsung souls.

This performance is produced by the non-profit Day Eight and directed by Robert Bettmann. Day Eight was founded to contribute to the healing of the world through the arts, and the mission of Day Eight  –www.DayEight.org— is to empower individuals and communities to participate in the arts through the production, publication, and promotion of creative projects. The 2020 DC Poet Project is supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, DC Commission on the Arts, and Wells Fargo Community Foundation.