ArtSoul Spotlight
Spoken Word Poet Taijun Speaks On The Black Experience w/ New Piece
2020 put a spotlight on racism in America as the world came to a stop due to the Covid19 pandemic. The silence that the pandemic brought made it impossible to ignore that racism is the age old pandemic that America has been living with for generations.
Video after video has flooded social media this year of Black men and women dying at the hands of police officers and/or being effected by race related incidents in other various ways. It’s easy for everyone to wonder… “How are we really doing in America?”. It’s easy to wonder “Are we growing”, or “Do our Black friends and family members feel safe”?
On November 21st, Spoken word poet Taijun Waters put a voice to the Black Man’s Experience with the release of his recent poem “I Wonder”; and the world has been listening.
When speaking about the inspiration behind writing this poem, Taijun’s “why” is clear. He wanted to express his feelings and offer clarity to those who don’t know what it’s like to live the Black Experience everyday.
“I penned this spoken word from deep curiosity about the world around me. This poem shares the fragility, confidence, and the wonders of having black skin. I hope it inclines a listening ear from anyone looking to understand, and reminds any black sister/brother in this time to feel loved & unafraid.”
SELF LOVE IS HEALING
As Taijun comes to a close of his poem, he says “…and I still rather be Black”. This is a mantra of resilience and self love that he wants everyone living in the Black experience to take away from his poem.
He recently released new hoodies to promote this movement of Black Self Love. Check out his full poem released on November 21st and get a hoodie to remind others that despite the challenges and hardships that Black communities have had to endure, “Black is and will always be Beautiful”.
MORE ABOUT THIS ARTIST:
Born and raised on the southside of Chicago, Taijun Waters is an artist who has many ways of sharing his thoughts and ideas.
Growing up listening to hip-hop and exploring literature, Taijun began to write poetry at a young age. By the time Taijun entered college, film was also a major area of focus.Thus, now, he chooses poetry + film as an avenue to share his thoughts and observations on life.
Taijun often infuses wisdom and truth into overlooked gray-areas of societal dilemmas and self-image.
His hope is to invoke emotionally healthy conversations on real life topics.
FOLLOW TAIJUN ON SOCIAL MEDIA