Talib Kweli, Students Showcase 'Eloquence' at Homecoming Poetry Cipher

As the musical sounds of Jill Scott, Common, and A Tribe Called Quest flowed from the DJ booth, students, alumni, and members of the surrounding community filed into the historic Lincoln Theater on U Street for this year's homecoming poetry cipher, Prominence: the Eloquence of the Scribes.

Cipher coordinator Brion Gill and singer and poet Sarai Abdul-Malik opened the show with a collaborative piece in which a mother and daughter compare the state of past and present society. Dance ensemble I.Am.We performed to Otis Redding's ''Try A Little Tenderness,'' currently sampled in the popular Jay-Z and Kanye West's song "Otis."

Eight student poets, including undergraduate trustee Erin Rigsby, ascended platforms on the stage in pairs to perform their work. Popular topics included the importance of self-love, relationships between fathers and daughters, and romantic relationships gone wrong. However, students also spoke out against issues of social justice. Poet Cameron Clarkson referenced the problem of gun violence among youth, the frustration of President Obama, and the dangers of identity crisis in his poem, "Light One."

"Light one for the homophobes who don't know that they're gay," he said as members of the audience laughed and nodded in approval.

Senior African Studies major Makeda Njoroge enjoyed the student performances. "As a poet myself, I was inspired by the show because I don't often share my writing in public, so to see students and poets who are at different levels of their careers performing gives me the motivation to keep writing," she said. 

Poet and actor Omari Hardwick entered the stage to whistles and applause from the ladies in the crowd. "I am humbled, now y'all be quiet, " he responded.

Reading a variety of pieces from his phone, one line in particular appeared to strike a chord with the audience: "Women want, while men just need."

Renowned poet Taalam Acey brought comedy to the cipher with his conversational interactions with everyone from audience members to cipher coordinator, Brion, to sign language interpreters. "I'm sorry; this is fun for me," he apologized after momentarily forgetting the words to one of his poems. At times he deliberately slowed down his speech in order to watch the interpreters sign. "How do you sign "m***f****?," he asked, as the audience and the interpreter alike roared with laughter.

Popular D.C. poets Rasheed Copeland and Ya-Ya Bey tackled issues of misogyny and respect for women in their pieces, while Brooklyn powerhouse poet, singer, and MC Queen Godis captivated the crowd with her messages of female empowerment.

Upon entering the stage, Queen Godis explained that she had once wanted to be a Bison but that she was unable to attend Howard because she received her acceptance letter, along with a full scholarship, a month after she had already committed to attend another school.

"It wasn't meant for me to be a student at Howard, but it was meant for me to be here tonight," she said. Opening up with a piece about her appreciation for brussel sprouts, Godis wowed the crowd with lines like, "My mom is an MC, I'm made in her spitting image."

Headliner Talib Kweli appeared to struggle to get the crowd into his set initially, performing new music from his upcoming album, but he won them over with his finale of the hit "Just to Get By." As the audience sang the bridge, he told of how he used to visit Howard to party and how he was grateful for the invitation.

Senior psychology major Amber Demery enjoyed the show overall. "The acts were really good this year," she said. "They also had some lesser known acts that showed up and showed out."

I.Am.We closed the show with a final dance number, but the heat did not end there. The crowd was ushered out with a bang when the fire alarm went off.