The Rowan Poetic Justice club, in conjunction with RAH, put on “In Living Color: Words of Power & Social Justice” on Friday, Feb. 7, in the Chamberlain Student Center. 

Co-sponsored by the Rowan YDSA, formerly known as the Rowan Progressives, and Rowan Hip Hop Club, this event featured core performances as well as break-out rooms catered to Black culture and empowerment.

In the pit was a stage set up to accommodate various artists who performed throughout the night, with a central focus on Black performers. Emceeing this section of “In Living Color” was Poetic Justice club president Danih Lael-Anderson.

Lael-Anderson kicked off the evening by cracking a few jokes about activism and Black culture before beginning his set of the evening. His performance set the tone for the rest of the performances of the evening, through spoken word poetry about social justice and his life experience, jokes, and singing while accompanying himself on the piano.

Following Lael-Anderson were various musical and poetic performances, including a jazz quartet, more poetry, and original music.

While performances took place in the pit, breakout rooms along the first floor of the Student Center featured other activities in which attendees could take part.

The Poetic Justice Club set up a room with poems by various Black poets, club members, and Rowan community members, as well as art pieces. The lights were dim and on the back wall, a TV played video of a fireplace. The air of the room was cozy and simplistic.

People walked in and out of the room, reading the poems or practicing their own spoken words before taking the stage later in the evening.

While the room itself was cozy, much of the poetry had to do with the fight for social justice, equality, and various struggles of the human condition. “In Living Color” was an event that clearly sought to amplify the voices of those with something to say.

Just a room over, the Rowan Young Democratic Socialists of America (YSDA) sponsored blackout poetry. 

Club members had set out various papers with poems across the tables and had included newspapers, magazines, and colored paper for inclined attendees to create their own poetry with accompanying artwork and collages.

In another room, the Rowan Hip Hop club was overseeing the creation of waist beads. Supplies were laid out across the table for people to string their own beads in various colors and styles.

Ray Mills, a Rowan sophomore and member of both Poetic Justice club serving as Community Engager and Rowan YDSA as Art Director, said that putting together “In Living Color” involved a lot of collaboration.

“The whole process was working together and collaborating, and mapping out which room is which,” said Mills.

He said that the goal of “In Living Color” was to bring people together.

“The goal was mostly to bring people together as a community like this is a safe space to express yourself with poetry, music, your hidden talent,” said Mills.

Halfway through the event, RAH opened up its food bar, which for “In Living Color” was a selection of cheesecake cupcakes. Students had a choice between having two mini cupcakes or one large cupcake.

Whitney Joseph, a freshman biochemistry major, was drawn to “In Living Color” initially by the spread catered by RAH.

“[The cheesecake] is phenomenal,” said Joseph.

Joseph said students like her are more likely to stay for events if they provide good food.

“They tend to stick around for much longer. They’ll come for food, but stick around for the actual event,” said Joseph.

Joseph was eating her cheesecake while watching the second half of the evening kick-off: the open mic night. Attendees took to the stage and performed poetry and music that they had prepared for the event itself.

This evening represented a unique combination of clubs resulting in a night for students of all talents and interests, with an angle of social justice.

“In Living Color: Words of Power & Social Justice” was just one of many events over the course of February that are in celebration of Black History Month. To stay up to date with events happening on campus, check out Proflink.

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