Brianna White stood in the spotlight with dozens of students staring up at her on stage.

Her hands were in her pockets and her head was slightly bowed. But her voice didn’t betray her nerves as the young poet spoke from her soul.

“I am wondering and confused. I wonder why people are sexist…”

Brianna was one of several performers Wednesday as Poughkeepsie Middle School’s Culture Shock club held its second annual Black History Poetry Café in the school’s auditorium.

Later, Brianna would admit the experience “was a lot.” The eighth-grade student wasn’t nervous until around the fourth period Wednesday. She brought a bear she received for her birthday, named Junior, on stage with her for comfort.

Despite the nerves, she performed three poems, one of her own creation, one written by sixth-grade student Lei’Lani Huxtable, and one by Maya Angelou – the show’s finale – “Still I Rise.”

Another student, Bianca White, wrote her own poem, “Poverty,” but stood quietly next to Culture Shock faculty adviser Selina Barrington, who read it. Later in the show, Bianca performed a poem herself along with Jai’viana Wood.

Those moments of courage, said Culture Shock faculty adviser John Hines, were what the event was all about.
“They persevered. They were quite nervous when they saw the amount of kids coming in,” he said. “This is to give kids the confidence to be themselves and not worry about what other people think, and just do it.”

The theme of the day, though, was enacting social change, which Hines explained to the crowd of students, “is the transformation of society’s norms, values, behaviors and institutions. It happens when individuals or groups challenge the status quo and work toward a better future for everybody. … At its core, social change is about creating a more just and equitable society for all.”

Hines told the crowd each of the four poems created by Culture Shock students were inspired by social change needed in the school or City of Poughkeepsie communities.

The event began with an African drum exhibition from special education teacher Christina Gurnee’s class. It was followed by a performance of “Lift Every Voice And Sing” by sixth grade crisis intervention worker Dijonae’ Roberts, which ignited the audience and quickly became a singalong.

Barrington noted to the crowd the song, which is widely known as the Black national anthem, was written as a poem in 1899 before it was put to music the following year.

The students in the crowd joined in again when two members of the drama club, Hevenlie Miller and Drianny Tererro, performed Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” and Neveah Smith sang “Diamonds,” by Rhianna.

But, poetry as a conduit for change took the spotlight for much of the show.

Hines said as “poverty is a prominent issue” in the city, the student poets “wanted to bring it to the forefront.”

Bianca White’s “Poverty” injected eight simple words with power.

“Poverty.
Homeless.
Broke.
Poor.
Empty-handed.
Humans.
Poor.”

Brianna White’s “I Am,” she said, was inspired by Angelou and sexism.

“I am wondering and confused.
I wonder why people are sexist.
I hear mean remarks about men and women.
I see mistreatment toward women and men.
I want equal rights for men and women.
I am wondering and confused.
I pretend that sexism was never created.
I feel sad.
I touch the hearts of mistreated women.
I worry for the men and women I can’t help.
I cry about sexism.
I am wondering and confused.”

Someday, Brianna said, she hopes to become a pediatrician as she likes helping people. A stuffed bear can go a long way in that field. Before that, though, more poetry is in her future.

“I want to try,” she said. “I like writing poetry and reading it, mostly.”

The PMS Culture Shock was established during the 2022-23 school year as one of the many new opportunities the district’s Comprehensive Arts Education Initiative created to expand student access to exploring and developing their potential through arts programming. Read about the inaugural Poetry Café’ in Issue 56 Vol. 4 of the Superintendent’s Brief.