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S AY E S 2 P O E T RY

S AY E S 2 P O E T RYS AY E S 2 P O E T RY

S AY E S 2 P O E T RY

S AY E S 2 P O E T RY

SAYES2P O ETRYMED IA KIT 2008

C herie “ C hi l l in’ da Con sc io us Po et ” K abb aCEO / Fo under

www. sayes2p o etry. orgsayes2p o etry@ho tmai l . com

(520) 309-0693

“ I N O RD ER TO HAVE WHAT YO U ’ VE N EVER HAD,

YO U MUST D O SO METHI N G

YO U ’ VE N EVER D O N E .”

S AY E S 2 P O E T RYS AY E S 2 P O E T RY

S AY E S 2 P O E T RY

“In order to have what you’ve never had, you must do something

you’ve never done.”

B r e a t h i n g l i f e i n t o w o r d s

“In order to have

what we’ve never had, we must dosomething

we’ve never done -

SaYes2 Poetry.”

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What is SaYes2Poetry?SaYes2Poetry Program and Movement is a performance poetry program uniquely suited to address the literacy inadequacies of today’s youth. SaYes2Poetry is also committed to educating the adult community by hosting live Open Mics to serve as a platform for novice poets to express themselves verbally.

During the past four years, SaYes2Poetry Program and Movement have successfully trained more than 500 middle and high school students in the skill of articulacy, storytelling and verbal expression. Mission? The mission statement of SaYes2Poetry believes “...In order to have what you’ve never had, you must do something you’ve never done.”

The SaYes2Poetry mission is to introduce and disseminate the art of Slam Poetry / Slam Poetry to increase literacy among urban youth --- in an innovative, creative manner. SaYes2Poetry is dedicated to empower-ing, enlightening and encouraging through the development of vocabulary and speech employing rhythmic, thought provoking, expressions. SaYes2Poetry aims to be all-inclusive in educating process. The topics of interest will include inspirations through experiences and highlights of motivating times in the student lives.

About the SaYes2Poetry Team? The SaYes2Poetry Team consists of committed poets that perform origi-nal, intimate thoughts. The team is diverse in culture, age and experience. Each poem is written for the sole purpose to educate, entertain and engage the audience. Team pieces focus on real issues such as HIV/AIDS, Self Love, Safe Sex, Love, Comedy, Abuse, Culture, History and life in general.

C E O / F o u n d e r

C h e r i e Kabb a , MBA

Who am I?

“I am convinced the Master of the Universe

anointed me from birth - painted by the Greeks,

embraced by the prophets from Egypt to Mo-

zambique. God chose me, piqued my curiosity

and it would only be less than me not to pursue

my Father’s destiny, I am Slam Poetry ...”

About the origin? Cherie Kabba also known as Chillin da Conscious Poet is the Founder of the Program and Movement. The SaYes2Poetry was created in September 2004. SaYes2Poetry primary purpose is to give a platform to novice poets to express their original spoken word.

The SaYes2Poetry Radio program was aired on KBOL 100.1 FM, the People’s Station in Waterloo, Iowa.

In my words? The goal is to be all-comprehensive when sparking interest that inspires rhythmic thoughts from personal experiences and highlights of ones life. Its objective is to provide a platform for local poets to come and share their origi-nal poetry and to revitalizing the spirit of writing.

Inspiration ...

Kabba fell in love with poetry when she heard Gil-Scott Heron’s Home Is

Where the Hatred Is and The Last Poets, On the Subway. Poetry is ingrained

in my family. She loves listening to my sister, Poet T, her two daughters and of

course the SaYes2Poetry Poets. However, her favorite Slam Poets are Triple

Blak, Dan Vaughn, Dasha Kelly, HB, Kwabena and Muhibb. She quotes,

“I am truly inspired by those who thirst for verbal expression.”

Credentials?

Currently, Kabba holds a Master’s

Degree in Business Administration.

She is the Assistant Facilitator for

Prevention & Intervention

Programs at the Tucson Urban

League in Tucson, AZ. “Working

with the youth has opened my eyes

to the need of verbal expression.

This is why I do what I do.” She

is also pursuing her 2nd Masters

Degree in Information Systems at

the University of Phoenix.

M o t i v a t i o n a l S p e a k e r

C h i l l in da Co n sc io u s Poe t

Who am I?

“I am convinced the Master of the Universe anointed me from birth -

painted by the Greeks, embraced by the prophets from Egypt to

Mozambique. God chose me, piqued my curiosity and it would only be

less than me not to pursue my Father’s destiny, I am Slam Poetry ...”

Inspiration ...

I fell in love with poetry when I heard Gil-Scott Heron’s Home Is Where

the Hatred Is. My favorite Slam Poets are Triple Blak, K-Love, Mreld da

Poet, Dan Vaughn, Dasha Kelly, HB, Kwabena, Muhibb and of course

the SaYes2Poetry Poets. I am truly inspired by those who thirst for verbal

expression. I am Chillin’ da Conscious Poet . “I Be Dat Poet/I be dat

hot chocolate cheesy-eyed Chi-town sista that flows it...I take my time

donating my rhymes/to elevate your mind/I instigate and narrate literary

mandates/and negate those that hate to facilitate a rhythmic debate.”

“Finding my voice has allowed

me to discover who I am and

define my purpose in life.”

Chillin’

Prior to a phenomenal performance at the University of Northern Iowa, Chillin chops it up with with some of

her favorite poets from Chicago at KBOL Radio Station. I see you Triple Blak, K-Love and Nico.

“ W h e r e I ’ m F r o m i s W h e r e I ’ v e B e e n . . . ”

C h i l l in ’ da Co n sc io u s Poe t p e r fo r mance sWhere I’ve Been?

Chillin da Conscious has performed in

more than 30 states including Daksr,

Senegal, West Africa. The SaYes2Poetry

program has been introduced in Illinois,

Arizona, Massachusetts, Minnesota,

Wisconsin and is taught in four Middle

Schools in Waterloo, Iowa.

Chillin has performed in the 2004

McDonald’s Gospel Fest at Madison

Square Garden • National Poetry Slam

Inc. 2004, Chicago, IL • 2005 Midwest

Regionals in Milwaukee, WI. • Spoken

Word Cafe, Chicago, IL • Metropolitan

State, Minneapolis, MN • University

of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA •

Hawkeye Community College Jam Fest,

“When they ask me

why I write?&

Why I recite?I say

Why not?”Chillin

Waterloo, IA • University of Arizona, Tucson Arizona • The Mill, Tempe,

AZ • I’ll Make Me A World Celebration, Des Moines, IA • Whispers

& Screams, Ames, IA • Juvenile Court Services, Tucson, AZ • Water-

loo Human Rights Diversity Conference, Waterloo, IA • University of

Wisconsin, River Falls, River Falls, WI • Mecca, Milwaukee, WI • Tucson

Urban League Annual Grand Gala, Tucson, AZ • 2000-2006 Martin

Luther King Jr. Banquet, Waterloo, IA • Arlington High School, St. Paul,

MN • Northeastern University, Boston, MA • Soul Cafe, New York, NY

• Waterloo Center for the Arts, Waterloo, IA • Dr. Bobby Jones Gospel

Retreat 2004, Las Vegas, NV • Fire Sands Grill, Tucson, AZ, The Light-

house, Tucson, AZ • From 1 Mother 2 Another, Tucson, AZ • Rising

Star Church, Tucson, AZ • Dakar, Senegal, West Africa • On the Streets

of Downtown Boston, Boston, MA • 2nd & 4th Annual Omer Gospel

Awards, Kansas City, MO • Lady Merdean Gales Church, St. Louis, MO

• Dakar, Senegal, West Africa & many more places.

Chillin with Adama and Owie (Adam and Eve), twins from Goree Island,

off the coast of Senegal, West Africa.

S a Y e s 2 P o e t r y S p o n s o r s

D r. Mich ae l B lackwe l l Who am I?

Dr. B. is the Director of the University of Northern Iowa

Multi-Cultural Education Center. He primary concern is about the

plight of the poor. He is he Founder of the Project for the Beloved

Family.

Quote ... “As long as people are not talking about it, if I talk about it

then at least somebody is going to be bringing it up...”

I am a Poet, a good one.

SaYes2Poetry would not be made possible without the financial and service support of the Talk Shop Cafe, the Cellar,

The Waterloo Community Schools, the local poets, the following sponsors from Waterloo, Iowa and YOU!

D. J. D aze

Mich ae l Mu h ammad - KB OL RadioWho am I?

KBOL 100.1 is the People’s Station. It is a community-based FM

radio station. Operating since February 2004, KBOL Radio works to

engage, enlighten and empower the greater community through

interactive multi-media. Minister Michael Muhammad is pictured left

with author/activist Cornel West. www.kbolradio.com

Inspiration ...

SaYes2Poetry airs every Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

Who am I?

D.J. Daze is a musical genius. He is responsible for playing poetic

related musical selections at the SaYes2Poetry live open mics and

poetry slams. His playlist is phenomenal.

D. J. Daze has a keen sense of hearing and the genre of music selected

is determined by the beats of his heart and knowledge of the culture

of the audience.

Inspiration ...

D. J. Daze engineers the SaYes2Poetry radio show on KBOL.

M o t i v a t i o n a l S p e a k e r

Ty ra Ne l so n - Poe t T Who am I?

Tyra Nelson, stage name Poet T, has been teach-

ing and working with urban youth for nearly ten

years. Born and raised on Chicago’s south side,

Nelson’s practical approach to educating urban

students is based on personal experience as well

as professional expertise. Growing up, Nelson

discovered the strength she needed to escape her

own adversities of poverty, abuse, and low self-es-

teem through writing poetry. It was in her second

year of college when she found the courage to

begin sharing her work through the performance

of Spoken Word.

Credentials?

Currently, Nelson holds a Bachelor’s

Degree in English and a Secondary

teaching license. She is the Assis-

tant Director for an Upward Bound

Program and works to ensure that

economically disadvantaged youth

have opportunities to experience

college early. She is also pursuing

her Master’s Degree at the Universi-

ty of Minnesota with a strong focus

on African American Studies and

Educational Policy.

Description?

Far too often, the urban student steps into a classroom where the teacher

is unable to relate to or sympathize with the students’ personal experience.

The inability to relate to one another only widens the gap between teacher

and student and can ultimately become a barrier to teaching and learn-

ing. These barriers can often be deconstructed when students are able to

acknowledge a connection between themselves, what they are being asked

to learn, and the person who is expected to impart this knowledge.

Spoken Word is a powerful medium through which teachers and students

can express the truth of their personal experiences. No matter the subject,

teachers can use Spoken Word as a vehicle to captivate their students’ at-

tention and gain a greater appreciation of their students as individuals.

Goals?

• Create and Enhance Genuine Relationships with Urban Youth!

• Engage Your Students in Learning Any Subject!

• Motivate Students toward Higher Standards and Personal Goals!

• Encourage Self-Expression as a Tool to decrease Inner Conflict!

“I am the founder

of the

Nommo

Conference,

the African

Bantu Swahili

concept that

encompasses the

idea that there is

great power

in the spokenn

word.”

Poet T

G . M . S h i r l e y

Mz . Gab - Th e Fe i s t y Poe t

“If you don’t like

something, change it.

If you can’t change it,

change our attitude..”

Maya Angelou

Who am I?

I am a child of GOD.

I express my feelings out loud and straight

to the point. Poetry is everything to me. It

helps me find myself and know who I am. I

have been reciting and memorizing things as

long as I was able to walk. I used to say things

over and over again until I got them correct. I

love the feeling of being able to recite without

messing up; it lets me know I GOT THIS!

Practice makes perfect and I use this is every-

day life. Poetry helps me look at life with a

new set of eyes and analyze personal

experiences so I can grow. It is my motivation

to move on and put the past behind. I am all

GOOD with poetry, and poetry is all GOOD

with me.

Inspiration...

My mother, Chillin da Conscious Poet is

definitely my inspiration. I was introduced to

poetry when I heard my mom reciting it on

her answering machine. My sister and I mem-

orized the greeting and began reciting saying

it wherever we went. She formed a group

called FVW, which stood for Future Virtuous

Women. I began writing poetry when I was

twelve and have been writing and performing

ever since. I have opened my mind to different

things and I have had a lot of experience with

poetry. I have been exposed to it long enough

to know how it is done. I am Poetry! Finding

me? Our biggest mission is to find ourselves.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Mz Gab and

HBO Def Poet,

Dasha Kelly from

Milwaukee.

K . A . R a n d l e

Mz . Kee sh - Th e Pa ss io nat e Poe t

“ I w a n t t o k n o w

G o d t h o u g h t s . . .

A n y t h i n g e l s e a r e

j u s t d e t a i l s . ”

A l b e r t E .

Who am I?

I am Mz. Keesh.

All I know is poetry.

From Day 1, I’ve been taught that poetry expresses

deep feelings of the author.

I’m hearing impaired. Unfortunately, I wasn’t diagnose

with a bilateral hearing loss until the age of seven. At

the age of 3, I began mimicking commercials, songs,

and favorite raps. At 7, My mother started to practice

articulation and pronunciation with me to enhance

my communication skills. She believed if I overcame

current obstacles, overcoming future obstacles would

be a cinch.

MzKeesh and Chicago Poet, K-Love. co-author of poem “Groupies”.

It was! Poetry is my passion. It is a way to express HIS thoughts and a

more direct form that isn’t offensive. But with MUCH emotion.

I love it.

Passion ... Got Passion? I do. Poetry is my way to overcome

EVERYTHING. My hearing aids help me to connect with the world.

I am most confident with them. That confidence has grown into passion!

V a l e r i e M o s l e y

E. P. I. P. H. A. N. Y. (Evoking Poet Into Prophecy Healing All Nations Yearning)

Who am I?

As E. P. I. P. H. A. N.Y. epitomizes, she uses her

poetry to help and heal all that is ailing in the

community and the world. Combining song and

poetry with a melodic flow unparalleled, she ad-

dresses contemporary issues with a unique flair.

Born and raised in Iowa, E.P.I.P.H.A.N.Y leaves

no stone unturned as she has performed at vari-

ous campuses, churches, and community func-

tions across the Midwest. Valuing education and

literacy in the community she has taught poetry

in an after-school program for the Waterloo

Community School District and tutored.

She enjoys slams and has performed with other

artists such as Chillin da Conscious Poet and

other Sayes2Poetery members. Currently she is

working on a compilation poetry CD and book

accompaniment that she anticipates releasing in

the near future.

Inspiration ...

Her favorite poets include Saul Williams, Jill

Scott, Nikki Giovanni, and all her Sayes2poetry

family. She currently lives in Waterloo, Iowa

raising her two sons, Elijah and Jelani.

“ I a m a s l a m

p o e t w i t h

a n a g e n d a . ”

E . P . I . P . H . A . N . Y .

A . S t e f f e n

Amz - Th e D ange ro u s Poe t

Inspiration ...

Everything inspires me to

write, especially deadlines.

Any poet who with some-

thing to say that no one

has said before. Favorite

slam poets are K’naan,

Last Poets, Jane Doe “You

speak to my soul” is my

favorite poem.

Who am I?

Amie Steffen is my government name. I have been a poet since 2007. My

most memorable moment was University of Northern Iowa’s V-Day, be-

cause the audience reaction was hot!

I’m a 24-year old writer and poet who has been a writer and poet since

before I knew what either one of those things was. Once I found out what

slam poetry was all about, I wanted to be that, too. Since 2007, I’ve been

living the dream, writing my heart and soul out onto pages grateful to hold

them, voicing my pleasures and displeasures onto an audience jeering and

cheering, all in an effort to help us realize our potentials. I Amz to bring

the message to the people, and the people to the message. I’m Amz, and I

B That Poet.

D a n i q u e S e y m o u r

Hear t f e l t - Th e L o ve Poe tWho am I?

Since the age of 13 poetry has been an escape for

Danique, the now 27 year old mother of three. Born

and raised in Milwaukee, WI she used poetry as

a way to express her secrets, emotions, fears and

dreams.

Heartfelt says it all. I am the LOVE Poet.

In all that she writes and performs she shows her

passion and love for life. After moving to Cedar

Rapids, IA at the age of 15, this poet moved on to

short stories and poetry journals leading to editing

her high schools literary magazine and publishing

poems in the International Library of Poetry’s

“Harmony of Silence,” book of poetry collection.

As a member of SaYes2Poetry since 2004, travel,

competitions, cds and radio shows have been just

the beginning.

“Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host.

But anger is like fire. It burns

all clean.”Maya Angelou

Focus on youth and community

outreach has created new goals and

aspirations for Heartfelt. Poetry has

become not just for herself, but now

includes others upliftment, educa-

tion and entertainment. Poetry truly

defines her life.

Inspiration ... Auditioning for HBO

Def Poetry in Philli, world events,

my life, other poets ... Listening to

Jill Scott, Chillin’, Dasha Kelly and

Maya Angelou in Tyler Perry’s movie

“Madea’s Family Reunion.”

D . P l u m

Unpredictable - The Erratic Poet

“Achievement brings its

own anticlimax.”

Maya Angelou

Who am I?

Dina Plum is the name I was birthed with, however Unpre-

dictable is who I am. I love to write. Originally, I am from

Waterloo, IA. I have been in love with words and stories since

my mother spoke to me.

Inspiration ...

I am inspired mostly by everyday situations in life, including

being a mom. My inspiration also comes from the other mem-

bers of the group. When I hear them flow, it reminds me that

its through our expression that we can touch one another.

I am the Unpredictable Poet.

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Miracle - The Soft Spoken Poet

“All great

achievements require time.”

Maya Angelou

Who am I?

My name is Demetria Biddle. I was born and raised in

Waterloo, Iowa. My stage name is Miracle, because I am a

Miracle. When I was 3 1/2 years old, I was in a car accident.

My family was told by the doctors that I was not going to be

able to walk or talk again. Not so. I am here! I am alive and

well!

Inspiration ...

I have been writing for 4 years. I have a book published. My

poetry is inspired by the challenges caused by the car accident.

My favorite poet is Chillin’ da Conscious Poet. I said Yes to

poetry because I love to write and express myself lyrically.