On Friday, Feb. 7, the Student Diversity Board (SDB), Black Student Association (BSA) and Saint Mary’s Sexuality and Gender Equity (SAGE) hosted “Harlem Legacy: Poetry, Pride and Resistance.” The event was held in Haggar Parlor, where it ran for two hours in two spaces. The event allowed attendees to reflect on the great poets and works of the Harlem Renaissance.
One of the event's rooms offered refreshments and invited attendees to write poetry in a customizable journal provided by the event. In the other room, attendees read their own poems or works by famous poets. The organizers lined both rooms with poster boards showcasing renowned Black poets from the Harlem Renaissance, many of whom were also part of the LGBTQ+ community. The posters provided biographical information about the poets and their great works.
Giselle Martinez, the president of SDB, shared that the event was inspired by past poetry nights.
“I know last year there was a poetry night where people read their poetry, and this was kind of inspired by that. We kind of built off of it and added the Harlem legacy aspect to it because I feel like they played such a big part in shaping Black culture, and it's really important to honor that,” Martinez said.
She shared her favorite part about organizing the event was completing research on poets and assembling their posters.
“I just love reading all the biographies on them and like trying to dig through their poems and find out which ones I thought could be most relevant to today’s event,” Martinez said.
Angelina Wright, the vice president of SDB, echoed Martinez’s sentiments in terms of her favorite aspect of preparing for the event.
“Doing the research about the Harlem legacy, about the Harlem Renaissance and just finding out [how] it shapes the Black culture [was my favorite aspect of preparation],” Wright said. “It shapes the way different artists were able to be showcased. And I thought this would be a really nice event. And having them displayed is really nice, [allowing] other people to just see how inspirational the movement was.”
Wright then emphasized her hope that the event would help people understand the importance of resilience and open-mindedness in recognizing the long-lasting impact of the Harlem Renaissance.
“I hope people take away the fact that there should be more open-mindedness, more resilience, to the fact that this has been throughout the culture, this has been going on for many years, and it’s a part of culture,” Wright said. “It’s a part of Black culture. It’s a part of American culture. So it’s something that stands for our community overall.”
Martinez then touched on how “hearing everyone reading their poetry and reading others’ poetry was just really moving.”
Kennashia Chandler, a Saint Mary’s student who read her poem titled “For 28 Days,” described how she was inspired by Black History Month, which is 28 days long.
“I was really mostly thinking about ‘what does that mean for most Black people.’ We don’t get the whole 365 days. Why do we always have 28 days?” Chandler said.
She elaborated on her poem’s theme of 28 days.
“Having the 28 days is nice, for sure,” Chandler said. “But it's emphasized in 28 days, I feel like I should be able to walk around as an African American and still be recognized every single day.”
Chandler then expressed her appreciation for the event.
“I think this is really creative. It's a different side of African American culture, for sure, that people need to get out more,” Chandler said.
She shared that she learned about many poets at the event whom she hadn’t known before.
“It's nice to learn something about my culture every single day,” Chandler said.
Looking ahead, Martinez and Wright mentioned more events celebrating Black History Month would take place throughout February, including the Melanin Makers' Mart, the Black History Month PJ Bash and the African Drumming Circle, among others.
“I’m really looking forward to our African Drumming Circle,” Martinez said. “I’m excited because, I believe, it’s a lead-and-follow format, so you’ll get to learn. I’m really excited to learn about that part of the culture.”
