Voices of FAMU Poetry Springs to Life

Xavier Allen Reddick recited his poetry.
Photo by Channin Ragland

By Chaninn Ragland
Outlook Writer

When you get a group of individuals who are open-minded, have eager hearts and the willingness to write and come together in one location you get Voices. Voices is the official spoken word poetry organization at Florida A&M that was founded by McQuisha Smith & Jaslyn Adams in 2009.

 
The group held their first event of the 2015-2016 academic school year on Sept. 17, inside Gibbs Hall.

 
Voices brought together a group of poets and spoken word artists at FAMU who share the same passion for expressing themselves with their spoken words.

 
Amanda Stephens, a senior graphic design student performer who has been performing with Voices for five years said, “It feels like I’m floating on a cloud. It feels like everybody is looking and listening to me. It gave a chance for me to express myself and let out secret feelings.”

 
She finds her inspirations to do poetry simply from the things she’s been through.

 
“Life inspired me to start doing poetry,” Stephens said. “Things I was going through as a teenager, the changes that happened to me mentally and physically. All that inspires me to write.”

 
Others find inspirations from other individuals.

 
“My mother inspired me to write poetry,” said Tatiana Lightbourn a junior fine arts student. “She always encouraged me to write when I was growing up. Whenever I had free time or I was feeling some type of way she encouraged me to put it on paper. But once I arrived to FAMU and heard about Voice spoken word poetry group, I wanted to give it a try.”

 
Voices encourages anybody who wants to come display poetic talents and become part of their family.

 
First time visitor, Andrew Austin, a sophomore English education student, was eager to find out about Voices when he heard about it. He’s been writing poetry since he was a child, but never did voice poetry prior coming to this event.

 
“When a friend told me about Voices spoken word poetry I immediately wanted to find out more” said, Austin. “So when I came to the event, I wasn’t aware of the open mic for anyone interested. This was my opportunity to get some shine. Releasing some of my frustration that was boiling over inside me.”

 
Voices hosts their event every two weeks on FAMU’s campus. Voices welcomes everybody to come enjoy an evening of poetic relaxations by the talented FAMU students.