Exhibitionists

Ottawa biomed student Roua Aljied turns to slam poetry

What does a biomedical engineering student do in her spare time? For Roua Aljied, it was a no-brainer: Become a slam poet.

Tackling domestic abuse and racism, she's become known as "Philosi-fire" in spoken word circles

Ottawa student turns to slam poetry to tackle domestic abuse

9 years ago
Duration 3:32
Taking on issues like domestic violence and racism, Carleton University science student Roua Aljied has found considerable recognition through slam poetry.

What does a biomedical engineering student do in her spare time? For Roua Aljied, it was a no-brainer: Become a slam poet.

Writing poems decrying domestic abuse and racism, Aljied became known as "Philosi-fire" in spoken word circles. In 2014, she delivered her first poem for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence campaign.

Her most recent work, Primary Colours, is a powerful story about a vicious cycle of domestic abuse. It can be heard in the above segment from Exhibitionists.

Roua Aljied will be performing at Ottawa's City Hall for the City For All Women Initative on February 25, and for the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women on March 8 for International Women's Day.

Watch Exhibitionists Sunday at 4:30pm (5pm NT) on CBC Television.