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Teens Voices Matter Too

2 Digs

The 9th annual Expressions: Talk Up Not Down Hip Hop Poetry Choir was held on July 17, 2015 at Bowie Center for the Performing Arts with over 250 attendees. This year’s camp participants included twenty five females and fifteen males’ ages 12-17 years old from different areas within Prince George's County. The youth wrote and performed poems including but not limited to the following experiences: being ignored, trying to ‘fit in’, fear, domestic violence, bullying, unhealthy relationships, abandonment, police brutality, peer pressure, death, equality, nature, self-worth, suicide, self-mutilation as well as the effects of being silent vs speaking your mind.

To hear their experiences was to feel their pain. Our youth have a voice but they are afraid to use it; they are unaware their voice matters so when given the opportunity to speak they spoke truths that would make many adults take precaution when saying and doing certain things. When listening to their experiences you realize just how alone they feel in the world and how important it is to connect, communicate and be compassionate.

In order to prepare for the performance the youth spent a week, July 12th – 18th, at the Patuxent River 4-H Center exploring nature and embracing their artistic abilities in both spoken word and visual art with no technology…that’s right, NO TECHNOLOGY! They were totally unplugged from social media, FaceTime, texting, cable, downloading applications, streaming music, etc., and were encouraged to use their imagination, be open-minded and flexible throughout the experience. Without the use of cell phones and head phones they are forced out of their comfort zone oftentimes showing resistance in the first few days but with the help of the 4H staff, master poets, visual artists, meditation specialist and counselor each person is eager to step foot on stage by the end of the week.

The 4H staff engaged the youth in activities such as: nature hikes, archery, low ropes, photography including discussions about healthy living and facts about nature. The visual artist, Lillian Shaw and Pierre Dennis, demonstrate how to visually show how you feel without the use of words; the visual art created is taken home at the end of the camp week. Master poets: Deserie ‘Sanjo Jendayi’ Johnson, SeKeithia Johnson, Sistah Joy, Christopher ‘The Poetry Man’ Fields and Neville ‘Phoenix’ Adams, provide the youth with the necessary skills and confidence needed to write and perform poetry through several vigorous character, writing and team building activities. Once the youth begin to express themselves the meditation specialist, Karin Wilkinson and counselor Glenda Bullock-Willis provide the emotional support needed to help the youth deal with the issues they have written about. They have a well-rounded community of support, guidance, and encouragement that plays a major role in their maturation process.

The number one fear in America is public speaking and in one week the Expressions Camp proves that public speaking is only a fear because the public refuses to speak on it. The children are the future so we must illustrate how to express thoughts and feelings in a healthy and positive way, after all it’s the things that go unsaid that internally destroys us most. If you missed this year’s performance no worries, next year the Expressions Camp is celebrating 10 years and I can guarantee it will be a show to remember!

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