Serving Community thru Literary Communication

There are many things that I’m passionate about one being active in community and making a difference in the world, the other is sharing, giving and exchanging stories, ideas, and following the creative path of service. What a great way to combine talents and service to community by sharing stories from around the world and bringing this knowledge and wisdom to the children in our communities.

First conceived in 2005, as “Yeye Bgirl SongBird Medicine, and Other Stories,” a performance-arts-education project  the idea of sharing stories, through a historical lens of famous writers, poets, civil rights warriors, and narratives and weaving music, visual arts, anthropology and critical analysis was a successful experience for both the artist practitioner and the students.  So much positve feedback from students and teachers that it makes sense that I return to this form of service and share my love of the written word with community.

Poetry, the Universal Art Form

POETRY is an ancient art form practiced by cultures in the square, the yard, the circle, the community. poetry like hip hop is a true universal language. it speaks to the heart, minds and actions of the people. it transcends race, culture, gender, economic boundary! poetry like hip hop is straight raw feelings. It gives voice to the once silent. Voices like E.E. Cummings, Claude McKay, Emerson, Giovanni, Hughes, Dove, Frost, Espada, Neruda, to Gil Scott Heron and, Def Jam Poetry’s, Mos Def are all the voice of the community. We feel their words like our own and celebrate in the art of written and spoken word in all its expressions.

Storytelling, the Oral Tradition and the Love of Literacy

coming soon

The Birth of an Idea

One warm fall weekend in 2008, I was eating dinner with my daughter when while shuffling between my journal and “The Dead Emcee Scrolls” (Williams, 2006). The waiter bringing olive herbs for our bread would eye the books as I scribbled black keys onto white space. Finally when my friend arrived, the waiter nervously stroking his auburn hair confessed that his best friend a fellow jazz student and musician did his thesis paper on the jazz influence in hip hop music genre. He said his friend read Saul’s book three times from front to cover. We exchanged a few minutes of excitement about music, hip hop, jazz and spoken word smiling in unison. The euphoria dropped when I asked “is there a spot for poetry around here?” The silence broke our grid and turned to a stale bewilderment. He shook his head and apologized for the lack of artistic movements and homes for the many diverse artists existing in the Woodbridge VA area. For me 30+ miles seemed unfair, even 8 miles seemed to be an unwilling ride to make to meet up or read poetry.

The essence of that need to bring poetry to communities exits here and beyond my own community.

got2giveback: Become a Volunteer w/U2 Poetry Project

coming soon

Contact

RIA

404-661-6515

u2poetryproject@gmail.com
riatakharu@gmail.com

VISIT U2POETRY PROJECT BLOG..WEBSITE COMING SOON!