Join us on Thursday, February 3, at 1 p.m. ET US (UTC -5) to participate in a conversation about police violence, women's rights, and immigration.
Panelists include:
- Smoked Poets, hip-hop artist and street poet
- Ather Zia, Assoc. Professor of Anthropology and Gender Studies, University of Northern Colorado
- Josh Griffin, The Carter Center, moderator
This roundtable will showcase the role of street poetry in demanding change against oppressive political systems that work to keep minoritized people in an enslaved state.
During our conversation, we will explore how place influences poets' written testaments of their lived experiences and how they understand the world. You will hear how introspection and self-awareness assist poets in advocating for social change.
The roundtable will serve to encourage fellow citizens to seek creative, non-violent ways to bring attention to ongoing racial injustice.
Ather Zia, Ph.D., is a political anthropologist, poet, short fiction writer, and columnist. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Gender Studies program at the University of Northern Colorado Greeley.
Smoked poets is a Kashmiri street poet and performer from East London. Her main body of work relies upon collective participation with musicians, rappers, animators, visual artists, and video artists.
Coordinated by Joshua Griffin, MDP
Hello and welcome, please post your questions for today's panel here. To join The Forum, click 'join the community' at top right.
Wow! Very powerful song and video
A question for Smoked, what inspired you to start making poetry and music about these conflicts in Kashmir?
Dr. Zia, what was it like during that period when you had not heard from your parents? What was going through your head?
You can see the Darwish poem at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhVlKnDgH68
The Zia poem is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qsc4d0oK_A
Smoked Poets video can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaXaKj6X0Sc
Thanks for your questions, this Roundtable will be archived here for further discussion.