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AAAS STUDENT ORGANIZES EVENT WITH THE PEACE POETS

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Kirsten Giebutowski

  • Nana Adjeiwaa-Manu ('16) at the cello and New York City-based writer, activist, educator and curator Mahogany L. Browne at the microphone.
     

  • Mahogany L. Browne at the microphone.

  • Sadia Hassan ('15) at the microphone, as Peace Poet Luke Nephew leaves the stage.

  • Four of the five Peace Poets: (from left) Frank Antonio López, Luke Nephew, Enmanuel Candelario, and Abraham Velazquez. Frantz Jerome, the fifth member, is not pictured in this photo.

  • The audience takes in the performance and enjoys food from Taste of Africa.

“Speaking When There are No Words” was a series of two events dedicated to exploring artistic responses to police brutality. On Tuesday, April 21 in One Wheelock, a group of about 7 students created poetry and choreography and engaged in discussion about police brutality and structural state sanctioned violence in the United States. The Peace Poets, a New York City based arts collective, facilitated this creative workshop. On Wednesday, April 22, there was a performance arts showcase at Collis Commonground, where students who participated in the workshop, The Peace Poets, and writer-activist-educator-curator Mahogany Browne performed a variety of pieces to a crowd of 100 prospective students, community members, professors, undergraduate and graduate students. Towards the end of the event, there was an open-mic session held for audience members to share their thoughts on police brutality with the audience. 

I am a cellist as well as a Sociology modified major with AAAS and Hispanic studies minor, and I organized both events in order to further explore my interest in the intersections between arts and activism. My intent was to disrupt and educate the larger Dartmouth community about the issues people of color face not only nationwide but worldwide. These events were generously sponsored by the Dartmouth African Students Association, the Special Programs and Events Committee, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Xi Delta Sorority, the Sociology Department, the AAAS Program, NAACP, Alpha Theta, the Native American Studies Program, the English Department, the Theater Department VOICES Program, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Street Soul, Native Americans at Dartmouth, the LALACS Program, and Tastes of Africa. Goodwill Batalingaya ’16 and Arianna Lee ’16 were also instrumental in supporting and assisting in executing the two events. 

Nana A. Adjeiwaa-Manu ('16)