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FREEDOM OF SPEECH Poetry Slam Brings Talented Spoken Word
Artists
By L.J. Hamilton
Special to The Truth
On Friday, July 5th spoken word artists from
Toledo, Ohio and abroad made
their way to
The Truth Art Gallery to speak their minds and express their
truths on a competitive stage where the
winner walked away with $300 cash!
The 'FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Poetry Slam' featured a diverse group of artists who recited
their work in an uncensored, no holds barred fashion that
amazed
the audience and left them longing for more.
Hosted by award-winning
author, spoken word artist and slam champion L.J. Hamilton,
this event
proved to be a success not
just because of the numbers in attendancebut also
because of the messages that
were shared and surely impacted lives beyond
Friday
evening.
National comedic legend, event planner, and
event host
Keith Cook,
award-winning and Emmy-nominated spoken word artist,
teacher,
and sports broadcaster John
Gibson (aka JG The Juggernaut), and former BGSU football
star Abasi Thomas were the judges who took on the challenge
of scoring this fierce literary battle, where the winner
would be determined
by which artist accumulated
the most points after three competitive rounds.
First to perform was
Caroline Dziubek of Toledo, Ohio. This young lady's passion
could be heard in her words. Her voice flowed over her words
smoothly and her literary poise was impressive just as her
work was
insightful.
Following Caroline was Native Brown Child of
Detroit, Michigan.
Her words
along with her voice were powerful, making an impact as soon
as she began to speak. Afterwards, Adam Spells of Cleveland,
Ohio gave a phenomenal and soul-stirring performance that
left the audience in awe of
his poetic
prowess.
Davion Desean of Toledo, Ohio followed Spells
with
a rhythmic
and poetic flow that expressed wisdom and truth far beyond
his age. Thursday Angel of Cleveland, Ohio was the fifth
artist to perform and she did so with style, grace, and
floetic mastery. Her voice was sharp and
her words
were piercing.
Spoken Truth was the final artist to perform,
and
in signature
fashion he used his strong voice to recite a ferociously
powerful piece.
After three rounds that demanded the best out
of each
artist with
every performance, Native Brown Child of Detroit, Michigan
walked away victorious. |
,%20Adam%20Spells,%20Thursday%20Angel,%20Native%20Child%20Brown.JPG)
L. to R. Caroline Dziubek, Davion Desean,
Jodie L. Summers (Spoken Truth), Adam Spells, Thursday
Angel, Native Child Brown
L.J. Hamilton introduces artists
Native Brown Child performs
Caroline Dziubek
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The audience was left inspired. They gave each
artist the
energy they needed to speak truth with a power that made for
a memorable night. Although the audience disagreed with some
of the scores the judges gave, the scoring was fair and
consistent and the dreaded score creep, which plagues slam
competitions often, was not a factor in determining the
outcome of this event.
This was the first of
several upcoming slam competitions that will be held at The
Truth Art Gallery and hosted by L.J. Hamilton. Hamilton has
been hosting events for over 10 years and performing
competitively for almost 20 years. He's also a published
author and empowerment speaker who can
be reached
at ljhamilton@ljhamilton.com or
you can check out
www.ljhamilton.com for
booking information and to shop available products.
Caroline Dziubek is a fresh
talent on the rise and a poet to keep your eye on and ears
open for. She can be followed on all social media platforms
under her name.
Native Child Brown is
working on a spoken word EP titled “The Miseducation of
Pocahontas” with a release date set for September 2019. She
will be at IWPS (Individual World Poetry Slam) in San Diego
in September representing the Colorful Women Slam Series.
Native Child Brown has been writing since she could hold a
pen and has been slamming for the past eight years. She's
currently putting together a mini tour for the fall, dates/
locations TBD. She's also a licensed mental health
therapist, working on a certification in poetry therapy, and
can be followed on all social media platforms under her
name.
Adam Spells has a book out
titled “Dear God” available on Amazon and
Essencebookstore.com. He can be contacted online by logging
on to www.adamspells.com or on Facebook under Adam Spells
Poetry. He also has a YouTube
Channel with videos
featuring motivational speaking engagements at John
Carroll University. You can
see him next in the Cincinnati Artsville Slam Competition on
July 13 and then a Music to Poetry Showcase in Cleveland on
July 27. He's been writing since he was a child and started
sharing and competing in October 2018. He can also be
followed on Instagram
@Slimpoetic13.
Davion Desean has been
writing since the age of 11. He's currently working on an EP
and performing on August 2nd at the Harvest Open Mic on
Central Avenue (Toledo, Ohio).
Thursday Angel is a
powerhouse performance poet that can be followed on all
social media platforms under her name.
Spoken Truth is not only a
spoken word artist but also an author, illustrator,
community organizer, and activist who can be followed on all
social media platforms under the name Jodie L. Summers.
All of these artists are on
the rise! They are ones to look for when you're wanting to
attend events that feature spoken word poetry on a local and
national stage. We hope to see you at our next event that is
sure to be
just as phenomenal!
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