The People’s Inauguration: Poetry and Dialogue On The One-Year Anniversary of Obama’s Inauguration

BY Eric Z. Camins, January 11, 2010

PeoplesInauguration

One year after Barack Obama’s historic election we are faced with a number of questions and varying ideas about what his presidency means. On January 20th, 2010 kahlil almustafa, aka The People’s Poet, author of “From Auction Block To Oval Office: 100 Poems For 100 Days” (MVMT Publishing, January 2010) will lead an interactive event combining performance poetry and critical dialogue commemorating the one year anniversary of that inauguration. The event will take place at the Jerome L. Greene Performance Space in NYC. (details and video below)

Reading from his fifth collection of poetry, kahlil will explore the hopes, fears, contradictions and complexity which come with the election of the United States’ first African-American president. Written in the voice of a young, African-American male and a romantic revolutionary, these poems capture a nation teetering between danger and opportunity, cynicism and hope.

This event will be an interactive experience. The panel will respond to the critical questions raised by the poems, and audience members will have the opportunity to create their own poems. The event will also be live streamed at MVMT.

When: January 20th, 2010
Where: The Jerome L. Greene Space, 44 Charlton Street (corner of Charlton and Varick) New York, New York 10014
Time: Doors open at 6:30, poetry and panel begins at 7 PM
More Info & to purchase tickets: www.mvmt.com

Panelists include:
• Rosa Clemente – 2008 Green Party Vice – Presidential Candidate
• Cindy Sheehan –The Peace Mom, author of “Not Another Mother’s Child”
• Michael Skolnik – Political Director to Russell Simmons & Editor for GlobalGrind.com
• Moderated by Elizabeth Mendez Berry, author “The Obama Generation, Revisited” (The Nation, November 2009)

Some of the questions to be addressed:

1. How do we create a space for people to express the ways Barack Obama has inspired them and create a space for principled criticism?

2. Is this the closing of a chapter in the American narrative beginning with the auction block and concluding with the Obamas in the White House? Or is the narrative of African enslavement being used to promote the idea of America perfecting its democracy?

3. It has been said that the Hip-Hop generation greatly impacted the election in 2008. How has the Hip-Hop generation been impacted by the campaign, Obama’s presidency, and how will the Hip-Hop generation continue to be engaged?

Some praise for kahlil:

“kahlil almustafa’s poems are extraordinary in their political complexity & aesthetic sensibility. His language in From Auction Block to Oval Office is crystal-clear and the ideas are continually provocative.”
- Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States

“The words of kahlil almustafa are both fierce and loving, chilling yet warm, a reminder that poetry goes beyond spoken word touching not only the ears, but the heart and the soul.”
- Toni Blackman, author “Inner-Course”/US Hip Hop Ambassador “

“almustafa is unafraid to tackle thorny issues of race, gender, class, love, hate, with a keen eye and a precision worthy of a doctor, a healer, a root worker.”
- Kevin Powell, author “Letters to America”