Award-winning poet, activist and scholar Sonia Sanchez shared her poetry and her experiences with an audience of over 100 Monday night in College Hall.
Sanchez is considered one of the most important writers of the Black Arts Movement. Her poetry, which is a combination of speech and song, covers topics such as love, adolescence and life as a black woman. Sanchez's work draws on many influences including blues, Japanese poetry and her own life experiences.
Sanchez described her journey of becoming a writer as a struggle. After graduating from Hunter College in New York City, Sanchez went on to pursue a graduate degree at New York University. In poetry workshops that she attended there, she found that she was "the only black and the only female in a sea of men."
However, Sanchez kept doing what she loved most -- writing. One day after class, Sanchez recalls asking her professor if she had any talent. The professor replied, "Yes, you do. But what are you going to do with it?"
Sanchez certainly has done something with her talent. Over the span of her career, she has published 13 books of poetry and 11 plays. Her poetry has earned her a nomination for both the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Image Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
She has also received honors such as a National Endowment for the Arts grant, a Pew Fellowship in the Arts and the Pennsylvania Governor's Award for Excellence in the Humanities.
Sanchez has taught at several universities including the University of Pittsburgh, Rutgers University and Penn. She has also given lectures at universities and colleges all over the country and even traveled to other nations such as Cuba, England and Norway to speak.
As Sanchez shared her poetry, she had full command over the sound and rhythm of her poems. She spoke loudly and softly, slowly and quickly, and at times, she broke into song, making it difficult to believe that she stuttered as a child.
"Language is an amazing thing," Sanchez said. "I don't know anything else that has so many subtleties."
Her poems drew loud responses from the audience as members laughed and offered words of praise.
College sophomore Bilon Wynn said she found Sanchez's poetry to be "inspiring, powerful, truthful and uplifting."
In between her poetry readings, Sanchez offered advice to her audience. "Get an education and become a doer," she said.
Sanchez encouraged students in the audience not only to work hard, but also to share their knowledge and give something back by becoming active in their communities and speaking out against problems that exist in the public school system.
Sanchez received a standing ovation following her talk.
"She was an amazing speaker. She also had a very interesting political and social message," College senior Maria Demeke said.
Sanchez's reading was part of a program presented by the Afro-American Studies Program entitled "Brave Testimony: African-American Poets in the 21st Century."
