Green Earth Poets Cafe

  • Home
  • Mission
    • Board of Directors & Staff
    • CJ, My Inspiration
  • Events
    • Calendar
  • Green Earth Poetry Theater
    • Green Earth Poets Cafe Workshop
  • Partners
  • News
    • Youth News
    • Poetry Slam Reviews
  • Video Highlights
    • Photos
  • Donation
    • Job Opportunities
  • Contact

Archives for August 2014

August 11, 2014 by Curtis Haris

Green Earth Poets Cafe celebrates its one year anniversary Aug 2014

It was exactly one year ago, August 2013 that we found the need for a community based poetry company that “helped people find their voice”. On the heals of the Trayvon Martin injustice, Curtis Harris,  founder and Executive director decided to find a place where the community could vent and express their thoughts through the arts peacefully, as a direct result of honoring the wishes of Trayvons parents, to honor their sons memory by being peaceful.  Our first poetry event which was FREE and opened to the general public was such a success we decided to continue to produce spoken word community events which were themed based.  At our Aug 9, 2014 one year anniversary event at the Brownsville Heritage House, we welcomed the honorable Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams as our special guest. A lot has happened in a year.

Brooklyn BP Eric Adams

A year later we have become a nonprofit corporation in the State of New York, formed a board of directors, and have implemented two additional programs. In addition to our general open mic spoken word poetry series, we establish “Our youth are slamming”. This poetry workshop will take place in schools for elementary and middle school students to help increase literacy rates in the Crown Heights, Brownsville, and Bed Sty communities. 75% of these students it has been reported, are reading below grade level. We believe literacy rates can be increased by introducing poetry workshops for the students in their  ELA and ELL classes in partnership with their Principals and teachers. In addition to Our youth are slamming, we rolled out another program “No more silent voices”. No more silent voices is a poetry performance/workshop that is held in prison for incarcerated youth. During the summer of 2014 we visited Rikers Island and helped these youth continue the healing process, help them overcome some of the trauma they have experienced, learn to communicate poetically and accept responsibility for their actions.

rikers island Aug 2-poets

 

Filed Under: News, Uncategorized

August 3, 2014 by Curtis Haris

No more silent voices program update Aug 2

Saturday’s journey into Rikers Island prison started off with a major hurdle.  Upon registering at the trailer to get access to volunteer for the program, we discovered that of the (6) six people there with us were not on their list. After making a few phone calls we were granted access to the prison where we had to go through another security check point. Once inside the checkpoint ready to go through metal detectors, we discovered a red light alarm. This is an alarm issued whenever there is a major problem at the prison and no one is granted access nor allowed to leave the prison until the source of the alarm is resolved.

Going through two of these alarms, we were finally able to enter the facility to perform for 18 year old incarcerated youth. We were very well received by these young men, who responded very positively to our performances and message. Thank yous to Charles “Kais son” Coleman, Henry “distinquish” Gray, Jhrelle “Relle the poet” Benn, Quindell “Quev” Evans, Cindy “Blackangel” Peralta. Without these wonderful artists who did not give up despite all that was going on in the prison that day, these youth would not have experienced the unconditional love and empowerment these poets brought to them. These poets were so well received Saturday, that four of the youth participated in the spoken word poetry program performing a spoken word piece. We are going back in two weeks to continue the process of healing. Pictured from left to right: Relle the poet, Distinquish, Curtis, Kai’son,Cindy, and Quindell. All in all it was a wonderful experience for the youth , the poets and the correction officers present.

Curtis

rikers island Aug 2-poets

Filed Under: News

August 1, 2014 by Curtis Haris

DonnaMichelle

Greetings Curtis

What beautiful fruit you have harvested and I pray continued success and pray God will bless you as you have been a blessing.  Happy Anniversary and I wish many more years of giving.

I am happy to say that I am preparing to finally move into a place of my own, praise God!!  So I am unable to participate but thank you for keeping me in the loop and ask that you continue to do so.   I may not be up and running by the next one but I believe by faith that by then all things will be in place and I would be prepared to give as I so desire to do so.  Stay you Curtis… you are an encouragement and inspiration.

 

Peace and joy

Donnamichelle

Filed Under: Poetry Slam Reviews

Archives

  • June 2018 (1)
  • February 2018 (1)
  • January 2018 (1)
  • December 2017 (1)
  • September 2017 (1)
  • July 2017 (2)
  • May 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (1)
  • December 2016 (4)
  • November 2016 (1)
  • September 2016 (1)
  • June 2016 (1)
  • May 2016 (1)
  • March 2016 (1)
  • February 2016 (1)
  • November 2015 (2)
  • September 2015 (1)
  • August 2015 (1)
  • July 2015 (1)
  • June 2015 (2)
  • May 2015 (2)
  • April 2015 (3)
  • March 2015 (3)
  • February 2015 (3)
  • January 2015 (3)
  • December 2014 (2)
  • October 2014 (1)
  • September 2014 (1)
  • August 2014 (3)
  • July 2014 (6)
  • June 2014 (4)
  • May 2014 (1)
  • March 2014 (3)
  • February 2014 (2)
  • January 2014 (1)

Recent Posts

  • Green Earth Poets Cafe publishes Anthology of Poetry for Su CASA
  • Green Earth Poets Cafe’s Exec Dir To Be Honored By POM May 5th

Post Archives

Next Event

Green Earth Poets Cafe 5 Year Anniversary Special

Green Earth Poets Cafe 5 Year Anniversary Special

Contribute

Site by: Pearce Design

Copyright 2016 © · Green Earth Poets Cafe