Wednesday, April 8th 2009
A Letter From kahlil almustafa
The beginning of this year marked the historic election of Barack Obama. A Black president is something I never thought I would see. Like most of us, so many conflicting thoughts and emotions went through me. For the first time in my life, I have at least one thought about the president every single day.
What is the significance of this historic victory of our first Black President? Is “Change” in America even possible? What will it look like? How will this presidency impact the thinking of Black people in America? What will people say worldwide?
Not having any clear answer to the question: “How does the election of Barack Obama make you feel kahlil,” I set out to write 100 poems during the first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency.
During April, which is National Poetry Month, I will be posting poems from this series on my new blog-site www.kahlilalmustafa.mvmt.com.During the month of April I will be doing Living Room Readings, going into people's homes, reading poems and having conversations. At a recent Living Room Reading, the participants ranging from 5-to-90-years-old created their own poems by remixing the words in Barack Obama's Inaugural Speech. Contact me at kahlilalmustafa@gmail.com to find out about hosting a Living Room Reading.
I will be presenting poems from 100 Poems For 100 Days at readings throughout the city:
Thursday, April 16, 2009 6:30-8:30pm
Columbia University Teachers College
525 West 120th St., New York, NY
Go to main entrance at Zankel Hall,
120th St. b/w Broadway and Amsterdam
Sunday, April 19, 2009 5:00-7:00pm
1022 Cortelyou Road
Brooklyn, NY 11218
Q train to Cortelyou
Thursday, April 23, 2009 7:00-9:00
451 West Street
b/w Bank & Bethune
New York, NY 10014
ACEL to 14th St. & 8th Ave.
SLIDING SCALE
Then I will be "Getting on the Bus" with the Institute of the Black World to DC
April 24-25, 2009
with the Institute of the Black World
on the eve of
President Barack Obama's
First 100 Days in the White House
featuring
kahlil almustafa is a recipient of The Field's Economic Revitalization for Performing Artists (ERPA) grant. ERPA receives funding from The Rockefeller Foundation's Cultural Innovation Fund. For more information, please visit www.thefield.org or www.economicrevitalization.blogspot.com
on the eve of
President Barack Obama's
First 100 Days in the White House
featuring
- National Town Hall Meeting
- African-American Heritage Tour of DC
- Benefit Fundraising Event
Thank you for all your support.
- Check out poems from the series 100 Poems For 100 Days.
- Book kahlil almustafa at your university, community space or school.
- Forward this BIO VIDEO to someone you know to book me at their university.
- Purchase your copy of my collected poems "Growing Up Hip-Hop" today!
- Host a Living Room Reading in your home or community space.
- Check out www.myspace.com/kahlilalmustafa to listen to tracks from CounterIntelligence.
kahlil almustafa is the 2002 Nuyorican Grand Slam Champion, author of Grandma’s Soup (February 2001) and I’m Crying Everyone’s Tears (August 2002). He recently released his debut CD, CounterIntelligence. almustafa gained attention in the hip-hop community as a performer with GAME Rebellion, performing at the first solar-powered hip-hop concert, while participating in the “Hip-Hop 4 President Tour,” and as a grantee of the Future Aesthetics Artist Regrant (FAAR) Program selected by the Hip-Hop Theater Festival and funded by the Ford Foundation.
kahlil almustafa is a recipient of The Field's Economic Revitalization for Performing Artists (ERPA) grant. ERPA receives funding from The Rockefeller Foundation's Cultural Innovation Fund. For more information, please visit www.thefield.org or www.economicrevitalization.blogspot.com
1 comment:
http://poemsoutloud.net/
April is Poetry Month!
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