Stepping up and Speaking out: Captured thoughts escaping the minds of its prisoners 

On October 30, 2008 Insight Arts hosted one of its monthly events known as “Women out Loud.” The event took place The Center for New Possiblities.  As I walked into the space my ears were immediately greeted with soft melodic music.  Adding to the care-free environment an old wooden lamp stands firmly at the focal point of the stage giving off a dim hypnotic light.  The chairs were strategically positioned around the lamp. Similar to waves hitting the surface of a beach the chairs were angled on a curve, and appeared to lessen in number as the legs of the chairs touched the upper center of the room, known as the stage.  Before the spoken word artists purged their minds of all their perspectives, Melissa Brew expressed her ideas on racism and understanding the significance of voting.  Following Melissa’s journal entry the audience members were given the opportunity to express themselves.  As each audience member recited their poem, I noticed the passion and confidence they exuded through their words.  Each individual owned the stage as well as the space.  Eyes within the audience were concentrated at every artist that graced the stage, as if the artists were speaking the admirer’s thoughts out loud.  To close the event sarwat and imi, the featured headliners, performed some of their popular poems including “ancestors,” and “red clay women.” Combining hymns with their poetry, chanting their words, in a way that allowed them to echo throughout the room the audiences’ silence added to the intensity of their words.  Receiving an optimistic response the headliners were acknowledged by claps from the audience.