Slam poetry duo visits UI for LBGTQA History Month
Art is meant to make a statement. It cultivates concern for social issues and creates understanding for the human condition. More than anything, art has the ability to bring people together. A large crowd gathered to take in an art known as slam poetry Wednesday in the Vandal Ballroom.
Lyndsie Kiebert | Rawr
Sisters Outsider poetry duo performing in the SUB Vandal Ballroom from left Dominique Christina and Denice Frohman.
The event marks the beginning of LGBTQA History Month here at UI. Aside from the spoken poetry event, they are hosting other events such as the National Coming Out Day Carnival and a visit from former NFL cornerback Wade Davis, who will talk about his experience as an openly gay athlete. October is dedicated to educating people about the history of the gay community and there was no better way to kick-off the month than by inviting Sister Outsider to campus.
Sister Outsider is a spoken poetry duo comprised of two nationally acclaimed slam poets: Dominique Christina and Denice Frohman. Each woman has won various awards for their poetry and social activism. Collectively, they have six poetry slam championship titles. They’ve combined their talents in hopes of promoting further acceptance of what they call “otherness” – differences in race, gender, sexuality, etc.
Aside from credentials, Sister Outsider possesses charisma, chemistry and a unique stage presence. At the beginning of the performance, spectators were informed on the expectations the poets held for them. The audience was not expected to sit quietly and simply observe, but rather call out and voice approval of verses by shouting or clapping mid-poem.
“We are giving you a lot of energy,” Frohman said. “Throw it back at us.”
She was not exaggerating. The energy each poet delivered – whether through the spoken poems or through sharing personal anecdotes – was infectious. The crowd hooted and hollered consistently. There was no element of concealment anywhere in the ballroom. Men and women alike were voicing approval at individual will, making for an almost family-like atmosphere.
Christina and Frohman covered topics from first kisses to the education system to gang violence, all through the art of spoken poetry. Though the duo focuses much of their poetry on feminism and sexuality, they covered a wide range of universally relatable topics.
They spoke of their hometowns and of growing up in multi-cultural backgrounds. Christina, an African-American, cried while performing a poem about losing four of her friends to gang violence in the summer of 1993. Frohman performed a poem about the power and meaning behind her mother’s thick Latino accent. While covering every social issue one can think of, Sister Outsider lacked modesty or emotional restraint for the sake of emboldening the audience, and it worked.
The rhythm the words made combined with the raw truth they exhibited made for an evening of profound empowerment. Sister Outsider may have brought a fresh and energetic perspective to UI for only one evening, but their positive impression is sure to resonate throughout campus in the time following.
The next LGBTQA History Month event is the National Coming Out Day Carnival on Oct. 10 on the Idaho Commons Plaza from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lyndsie Kiebert can be reached at [email protected]