Poetic justice with event to mark ‘George Floyd Day’

The power of poetry and the spoken word will spotlight racial equality and race issues at an event to commemorate the death of George Floyd.

Thursday 25 May is the third anniversary of the death of George Floyd who died after being restrained by police officers in the US city of Minneapolis.

To mark the day, there will be a free-to-attend ‘Meet the Author and Poetry Performance Social Evening’ at the Waterside Bar & Restaurant on campus.

The event has been organised by the University of Northampton’s GEM (Global Ethnic Majority) Network which represents Black, African, Asian, Brown, and dual-heritage University staff members.

Starting at 5pm, three noted GEM writers will read from a selection of their work:

• Launching the event will be the London-based spoken word poet, musician, and performer Nomadic Libaax. Also known as the Young Lion, he uses poetry and rhyme to challenge racial stereotypes and express new perspectives of thoughts and feelings.
• Derron Wallace will read from his book The Culture Trap which exposes how school practices in the UK have reproduced racial and ethnic inequalities which align Black students to failure.
• Ankita Saxena is a British-Indian poet and artist whose first book of poetry was Mother | Line. She has performed widely across the UK, most recently at the Wasafiri New Writing Prize celebration.

GEM Network Co-Chair Marcella Daye says: “It’s incredible that three years have passed since the death of George Floyd, the momentous fallout from which led to a global movement to galvanise efforts to achieve greater racial equality.

“To commemorate Floyd and spotlight that work, we have an enchanting evening of book readings, poetry, music, and reflection to entertain, energise, and inspire. Register now by booking your ticket at Eventbrite for this free, not-to-be-missed social event of unforgettable performances and soul-stirring conversations.”

Register for your place at the event on Thursday 25 May and email GEM with any enquiries: gemstaffnetwork@northampton.ac.uk