JOSHUA BENNETT: THE POWER OF A VOICE
Every year top African-American News and media website TheGrio.com release a list of the top 100 African-Americans making history. The unique list includes educators, politicians, media moguls, music artist, athletes, and a plethora of many more fields. These honoree's range from the age groups of children to senior citizens. This year a gentleman on the list by the name of Joshua Bennett is one that stood out the most. He is the only Slam poet featured on the list and has performed everywhere from the White House to the NAACP Image Awards. Speaking on subjects such as personal struggles, Hip-hop, family, and politics he is managing to captivate a culture through the ingenuity of his words. He is Taking his art form to a higher platform and engaging audiences who wouldn't normally pay attention and getting them to listen. Bennett has a unique way of allowing him self to shrink to the muster of his vulnerability in front of complete strangers which allows his message and words to be elevated through the exposition of his thoughts. "It's nothing but you and the microphone, your story, and a group of people who have gathered there to listen and just the hope that somebody will be moved." Here's a little more about this artist.
Bennett's Background
Bennett was born in the Bronx and raised in a low-income neighborhood in Yonkers, New York. He attended a private high school and went on to pursue his degrees with a double major in African Studies and English at the University of Pennsylvania. He's currently pursuing an MA in Theatre and performance studies at the University Warick in the UK. Bennett began doing spoken word poetry at the age of Seventeen after attending a Hurricane Katrina benefit at Sarah Lawrence College in which he saw spoken word for the first time and was inspired by the artists performing there. A week later he wrote his first Spoken Word poem.
Accolades
Bennett's Background
Bennett was born in the Bronx and raised in a low-income neighborhood in Yonkers, New York. He attended a private high school and went on to pursue his degrees with a double major in African Studies and English at the University of Pennsylvania. He's currently pursuing an MA in Theatre and performance studies at the University Warick in the UK. Bennett began doing spoken word poetry at the age of Seventeen after attending a Hurricane Katrina benefit at Sarah Lawrence College in which he saw spoken word for the first time and was inspired by the artists performing there. A week later he wrote his first Spoken Word poem.
Accolades
- Former member of UPenn's Spoken-word team "Excellano Project"
- Co-founded The University Of Pennsylvania's NAACP Chapter
- Co-founded The UPenn's "Black Men United" Chapter
- Published a book of autobiographical poems entitled Jesus Riding Shotgun
- Grand Slam Champion of numerous Slam competitions around the country including Champion of "Brave New Voices"
- Performed at NAACP Awards to honor Russell Simmons
- Recipient of the Marshall Scholarship
- Performed at The Sun Dance Film Festival
- Performed at White House Poetry Jam in 2009 for President Barack Obama
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