The brothers of UAAM found a way to let students release steam before finals. The Exodus Chapter of United African American Men hosted “Poetic’s Lounge” at Louisiana Tech University Tuesday night. The night featured song and poetry from Tech students and Grambling State’s own performance arts troupe, Lyrical Quest.
The Tonk on Tech’s campus was appropriately decorated for the night. The dim lights and candles got attendees in the mood for poetry. Cinnamon rolls and cookies baked by the brothers of UAAM were served throughout the event.
The show started promptly with the first poet, Neyo. Several more students came and went, all expressing themselves with deep poetry and foot-tapping songs.
Deron James, a Lyrical Quest singer, performed his single, “Under My Bridge.” The crowd loved his performance and he was raved by students after the show.
Clarissa Johnson, a freshman from Bossier City, said, “Deron was my favorite to watch. It was really good.”
She also said that although she is a freshman on campus, she noticed the brothers of UAAM do a lot for the community and the campus than other organizations do.
The night continued with many great artists. CJ Thomas was one of the few poets who spoke on a lighter note. His exuberant personality and delivery of a poem about women, had the crowd smiling and entertained.
However, there were a few poets who did the opposite. The topics of the poems varied from religion to baby mama drama and AIDS.
Lyrical Quest spoken word performers Imani Jackson and Aoko Jordan performed individual pieces and a popular duet poem. Even though they stumbled, the piece was well received.
There were more performances from Lyrical Quest. Spoken word powerhouses Brandon Scott and Taknisha Houston gave riveting performances of original works.
Kevin “Smoking Aces” Jenkins, a junior from Monroe and also a member of UAAM, was pleased with the turnout.
“We had a great turnout. Everyone was just vibing. We really just wanted them to express themselves before finals and the break.”
“We are a strong Black brotherhood,” said Glynn Price, a sophomore from Jonesboro. “We were founded at Grambling State in 1993. We are a fellowship. We stand for bettering the black community, teaching young men to stand up for themselves, and to achieve the best in everything.
“We stand to protect Black women,” Price added.