Black youth writers find their voice in poetry
A self-expression writing workshop uses poetry to tell Black stories
Black youth writers took part in the "Write Us Beautiful" workshops, as part of the National Black Canadians Summit, where they harnessed the power of poetry to share stories of Black experiences.
We caught up with three participants, Elizabeth Taylor, Damini Awoyiga, and Fikayo Kayode, to ask about their writing and what they learned.
Meet the workshop leaders:
- Poet Laureate, Randell Adjei, on the power of words, the Black experience and mentorship
- Author, Moashella Shortte, on youth, writing, and "the joy in the coming together of Black folk"
- Poet Laureate, Titilope Sonuga, on telling Black stories: "An essential part of knowing who we are.
Damini Awoyiga
How does writing help you express yourself?
Writing helps me express myself in a unique way. It provides an outlet for my feelings and thoughts and serves as a way to communicate and connect with people.
Can you share an excerpt from your writing and describe why you are proud of it?
I'm proud of this excerpt from my writing because it showcases my Yoruba heritage, culture and language, which is something I don't write about enough.
Emi omo Ilishan,
Emi omo Ekiti
I, Daughter of water,
I, Daughter of kings
I am a gilded vessel from which the language of my ancestors flows
Their ORIKIS arise from my mouth in the form of poetry
Giving life to history
Giving life to thought
Giving Aye
Translations:
Emi omo Ilishan,
Emi omo Ekiti
means:
I, Daughter of Ilishan
I, Daughter of Ekiti
ORIKI: means the oral praise poetry of the Yoruba ethnic group
AYE: means life
What is the main thing you want to learn from working with these writers?
I have learned a lot from all the mentors from the online writing workshops and engaging with the group, but I would like to learn more about their process of writing and what inspires them and motivates their creativity.
Is there anything else you would like to share about poetry, storytelling, or on being an emerging Black Canadian writer?
I really like the fact that spoken word poetry has its roots in oral tradition, performance, music and storytelling. All the things I love to do. As a spoken word poet and emerging Black Canadian writer, I see myself as a storyteller trying to raise awareness about race, community and social justice issues. It is important for me as a Nigerian-Canadian with Yoruba roots, to infuse my culture, music, language and stories about my ancestors into my writing. I want to encourage young people to add poetry reading into their life. Poetry is the oldest form of literature and reading it connects us to the history of humanity.
Fikayo Kayode
Writing is a way to make the jumbled words in my head understandable, not just for me but for other people as well. As someone who grew up not really being able to express myself, writing as a mode of expression has become so important to me.
The moment I put words on paper, the heaviness I once felt becomes weightless and I feel ready for almost anything. That being said, writing isn't always a pleasurable experience. Sometimes, a lot of times, my writing comes out of pain but in the end, it is always fulfilling.
Can you share an excerpt from your writing and describe why you are proud of it?
Confidence is present on some days, and on others, it is not.
But self love.
Self love should be constant.
Radiating within you no matter what
And not depending on the presence or absence of anything, to exist.
I wrote this piece at a time where I was struggling with my body image and to be honest, I still do on some days. I am proud of this piece because it helped me realize that while I need to love myself everyday, I can show that love in different ways. I don't have to always "look good" in the conventional way. I can just be and still love myself and be comfortable in my own skin. This piece helped me realize that self love also means giving yourself the space and grace to just exist on days that you feel like you don't have the confidence or strength to do more than that.
What is the main thing you want to learn from working with these writers?
There is so much to learn and being in a space where there are successful Black writers is not something that I've experienced often. I want to learn how to write exactly what I feel. To write unapologetically, without care for what people might think, especially people who don't look like me. I also want to learn how to be simultaneously comfortable in my Blackness and in my creativity so that I can share my words knowing that even if some people don't get it, I do and the people that need to also do, and that's enough.
Is there anything else you would like to share about poetry, storytelling, or on being an emerging Black Canadian writer?
Sometimes your words are deep and soulful and carry a higher meaning and other times they are simple and maybe mundane. Both are fine, as long as you are writing what is true to you and what is true to your audience. Something I will forever believe in is that there will always be someone out there that can relate to a story you're telling, a piece you're writing, a performance you're making, and this is what inspires me to share what I write no matter how deep or simple it might seem. And if one person feels less alone because of something that you shared, that to me is a great achievement.
Elizabeth Taylor
How does writing help you express yourself?
Writing helps me to organize and externalize my thoughts. Having the opportunity to sit and edit ideas is helpful when you want your message to be communicated well. In this context we have had a couple of weeks to workshop our writing with the group which was valuable.
Can you share an excerpt from your writing and describe why you are proud of it?
I am the sunshine cracking over the rooftops revealing a new day, I am the cold wind reminding you to be grateful for the summer, I am the sour lemons, mangoes and grapes calling you into alertness.
I'm proud of this because it allowed me to write in a new way. In this exercise we were asked to write about who we are apart from the things we do which I had never taken a moment to think about before. Before this workshop I had never written poetry outside of school assignments and this was an interesting new experience.
What is the main thing you want to learn from working with these writers?
During the workshop one of our mentors spoke about performing and thinking about what impression we want to leave the audience with. I hope that I can impart some positivity. My goal is to improve my public presentation skills and bring some humour.
Is there anything else you would like to share about poetry, storytelling, or on being an emerging Black Canadian writer?
Being a storyteller/poetry writer is very new for me. Usually my preferred medium is painting. But the workshop group has been fantastic, this is a very talented group. I am excited for what my peers will bring.
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