A Night Filled With Talented Sistah Girls

On Saturday, April 24, 2021, the Sistah Girls Book Club hosted its first virtual open mic nite. I got the idea for the event because April is National Poetry Month and I wanted to bring some joy into the atmosphere.

We are all going through tough times but for one night I wanted to create a space where all of us Sistah Girls could connect and vibe out. And that’s exactly what happened, from 8-9 pm we had featured performers, these were artists who performed at a designated time. From 9-10 pm the mic opened and anyone could step to the *virtual mic* and share their talent with us.

The space was safe, it felt light, and I could feel the love radiating from my computer screen. I opened by sharing a piece I had written called “Ruffled Socks & Unanswered Prayers.” I was very nervous to go up first mainly because when I share my work people read it–I don’t perform.

Like any novice, I prefaced the audience and let them know that I don’t perform and this was unfinished. And like Black women who want you to win, the women in the audience came off mute and encouraged me. I got through my piece and the comments section showed me, love.

Once I was done, it was time to host–I can do that well, it’s my thing.

Performers

The first poet to perform was Katchouscia Apollon, she performed two pieces from her poetry book Shades of Me-Book of Poetry. Apollon is a natural performer, her passion mixed with her words shook the virtual room!

Amanda Jones was the next poet to step to the mic, she performed “Morning Flow,” “Pillow Talk,” and “Stress-Less” from her co-authored poetry book Prescription Wisdom. Jones has a sweet voice with a powerful message that will leave you nodding your head in agreement.

What I love most about storytellers is that they can step into any space and share using any medium, and that’s exactly what actress, comedian, rapper, and educator Destiny Mabry did. She stepped to the mic and shared some of her life experiences which ranged from her career to old romantic relationships.

It was special because we laughed in agreement and gave each other the “that used to be me,” nods when it came to relationships gone south. Her ability to be vulnerable and share her life stories gave us all space to reflect and encourage each other.

 

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Poet and professor Bridgette Bianca came to the mic next, y’all when I tell you she is a powerhouse–whew! I started following her on Instagram and became a fan instantly. I’ve watched her share poems on Instagram and have been in complete awe of her delivery. From her cadence to the Black girl magic that oozes out of every word she speaks–man listen!

Not only is she a poet but she is a whole professor, I have listened to her school us from inside her car (IG Sistah Girls y’all know). Ms. Bridgette blessed the mic and read from her poetry book be/trouble.

Black contemporary romance author A.S. Wilson hit the mic next, I loved her spirit she was so down to earth. Now, I’m not sure if it’s a requirement to have a dope speaking voice if you want to be an author but if it is A.S. Wilson has the box checked!

She read from her book Free to Love You and had us all sitting on the edge of our seats trying to figure out what happens next. Y’all read the book, I definitely downloaded it after she finished reading…

Author Britt Joni took the mic next, she writes women’s fiction and Black contemporary romance. Joni shared with us that her mom suffers from connective tissue disease and the character from her book Who Would Have Thought? also has the disease.

It was a special moment because rarely do you hear how authors come up with certain details of their story as it relates to their reality. She read from the story and it really changed the way I viewed it.

Let me tell y’all something, author Mycah Edwards is dedicated! Sis was in her car because she was out celebrating her friend and still pulled up to read from her book He Who Finds A Muse.

And when I tell y’all her reading made us all one-click!

After our featured performers finished warming up the mic it was time for anyone who wanted to share to step and perform. I was soooo not expecting one of my Schomburg Junior Scholars to pull up and share not one but two of her poems. Sophia is a 15-year-old Spoken Word artist from Brooklyn, New York. She performed two of her poems, “Stuck But Growing,” and “Racist Sandwich.”

Author Mel Dau came up next and shared some new work that wasn’t even published yet–we got the exclusive! Everyone was tuned in trying to figure out when the story was dropping because she left us hanging. While she didn’t share the title of her unreleased (soon to be released) story, you should definitely check out her recent release, A Love So Blue.

Author Tierra Cox closed the night reading some of her unreleased work, she writes paranormal and fantasy romance. Her story drew us all in and because of the genre it felt like we were all sitting around a Sistah Girl campfire. While her reading was also an unreleased exclusive, you can check out her published work below…

Sistah Girls, our first virtual open mic nite was everything I wanted it to be and so much more. When the event was over I felt lifted and inspired. Being part of this community is really something special and I don’t take it for granted.

The only thing missing was all the hugs and pictures that I would normally get when meeting in person. Thank you to all of the performers who shared your talent with us and to all the Sistah Girls who attended–y’all are so bomb!

Our next virtual open mic is in August–don’t miss it!

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