With posters headlining the phase “Speak the Truth” plastered around the halls of RBHS, students are invited to attend Poetry for Personal Power Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. in the RBHS PAC.
Although there is no admission fee, adults and non-performing students are encouraged to donate $5 and$ 3, respectively.
People of all ages are invited to attend and listen to ways of overcoming adversity, for which participants will receive cash prizes; $100 dollars goes for first place and $50 for second.
Participants will engage in an open/mic poetry contest, and their poems will be judged by RBHS teachers.
One of the event sponsors, Jessie Adolph, encourages students to take part in this opportunity because of the voice it provides for every participant.
“We live in this world where there are a lot of social issues and atrocities that take place,” Adolph said. “And we need to be able to speak more truth about those issues to make a change.”
While the audience can watch other students share some of their own work, people can also purchase food plates and snacks prepared by the organization.
Through the efforts, the organizer of the program, MAC Scholars, hopes to raise money for its trip to Atlanta in the spring.
Junior Asya Powell said the fundraiser itself is a great cause, helping students get a chance to tour colleges and universities they might not be able to attend if it wasn’t for opportunities like Poetry for Personal Power.
“I’m very excited,” Powell said. “[I] encourage other people to come support us because they are in for a special treat.”
Powell said she looks forward to seeing the talents of other students and the fun they are expected to experience.
Like Powell, Adolph agrees this is one event everyone must attend. Whether or not students want to present their own poetry, Adolph said the experience will be worth their time.
“For the most part, poetry for personal power is about one individual empowering themselves to overcome struggle by first making awareness of their struggles and then using it to make change,” Adolph said. “So I think it is important for the students to come out and support this.”
With homemade soul food and participants of all ages, Adolph said the competition is going to be hot.
“I’m really looking forward to students just bearing their souls on the stage,” Adolph said, “and bearing it in a way so that they can make a new connection with someone who goes through the same struggles.”
By Mahogany Thomas