As an array of performers took the stage in Watson Theater, the audience listened to poetic renditions of the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

 

‘Poetry Night,’ held Thursday as part of Syracuse University’s Dream Week, featured performances by students, Syracuse locals and audience members who recited poems commemorating the civil rights activist.

The group that held the event, Verbal Blend, gives students the chance to write and perform their personal works at various events throughout the year.

During Thursday night’s event, the poets addressed racial oppression and equality, and they reflected on the progress that has been made since King’s time.

 

Cedric Bolton, director of Verbal Blend, said the pieces performed dealt with tough issues that were challenging to hear but moving.

 

Ty Rice, first runner-up at Verbal Blend’s ‘Take the Mic’ city-wide poetry slam held this past October, said the event allowed individuals to further their creativity.

‘It was important for me and everyone else to perform because everyone has a lesson to teach,’ said Rice,a sophomore marketing major. ‘If it’s not taught, no one will learn.’

Bly Priscille Valentine, an audience member and freshman psychology major, said she thought the event was uplifting and beneficial to those who attended.

With performers representing various races and a diverse audience, it showed that King’s beliefs were not limited to only the black community, Bolton said. He said the event was successful in celebrating King and his accomplishments.

Verbal Blend member Khadijah Peek said people should not forget about the progress that has been made since King’s time but knows there is room for improvement.

‘Every time I think about Martin Luther King, I feel there’s so much left to do, just as people,’ said Peek, a sophomore in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. ‘Not just black or white but as people.’

 

hsstalli@syr.edu

Published on January 30, 2011 at 12:00 pm