Poets, Writers, Performers Celebrate Black History Month

Aj McQueen, poet, activist and motivational speaker will be the featured artist at Embrace the Black Writer, a Black History month event sponsored by the Center for Multicultural and Diversity Education at the University of Arkansas.

Embrace the Black Writer aims to educate the campus community on the impact of African American authors and writers who contributed to understanding Black History. The event is a celebration of the lives of significant authors and poets who helped communicate the experiences in African American culture, and an effort to inspire future Black writers.

The event will take place Wednesday, Feb. 27, in the Multicultural Center at the Arkansas Union, beginning with a poetry workshop at 5:30 p.m., led by McQueen. The workshop is for students interested in understanding the art and history that inspires poetry in Black culture.

An open mic program, “Black Writers Speak,” starts at 7 p.m., with poetry performances and monologues to celebrate the history of Black writers and to inspire young talent. This will be followed by a meet and greet with performers and local writers at 8:30 p.m.

Aj McQueen has been featured on BET’s 106 & Park to speak about Teen Violence in America. He has also traveled and spoken to diverse audiences on topics such as building leadership skills, self-identity, social issues, and spiritual integrity. He is a member of the national recording group Still Trill Christians, which has received a Service Achievement Award from the White House, and has been featured at the Stellar Awards, Bobby Jones Gospel, and many more appearances all across America.