Poetry & Film Tribute to SEKOU SUNDIATA -- Fri., Feb. 22, Admission Free

[JemChi]

For More Information Contact: Kim Hunter Kdhunter1@sbcglobal.net


"Words As Music: A Poetry and Film Tribute"

10 DETROIT POETS PAY TRIBUTE TO SEKOU SUNDIATA
Creator of Landmark 51st (Dream) State Remembered with Words and Film

Detroit. Sekou Sundiata was one of the nation’s premiere artists and thinkers.
The sudden death at age 58 of the Harlemite writer, performance poet and
scholar left a tremendous hole in the cultural scene.

Sundiata also left a deep impression on poets and scholars that he worked with
in southeast Michigan. Those folks have gathered to pay tribute to him with his
own words, video of his performances and their own work as well.

Detroit poets Terry Blackhawk, Melba Joyce Boyd, Vievee Francis, ML Liebler and
Dennis Teichman, will be among those participating in Words as Music: A Poetry
and Film Tribute to Sekou Sundiata, Friday, February 22 at 7 pm at the Arab
American National Museum 13624 Michigan Ave (near Schaefer) in Dearborn.

Admission is free and you can call 582-2266 for directions and information.
Wayne State University’s Department of Africana Studies is a cosponsor of the
event.

“Sekou could operate on the street corner or on a panel of PhD’s because he was
very humane, funny and wise,” said Melba Joyce Boyd, Chair of Wayne State
University’s Africana Studies. “People will get a sense of that at the tribute.”

Blackhawk, Boyd, Francis, Liebler and Teichman and fellow poets Alise Alousi,
Aurora Harris, Kim Hunter, Kevin Rashid and Marilynn Rashid all read and
worked with Sundiata to create Checkpoint: A Concert of Poets. That reading
took place in 2005 at the Arab American National Museum. All of the poets will
be reading again at the February tribute. It will also feature video clips of
Sundiata’s Blessing the Boats performance and clips from his magnum opus
51st (Dream) State. Blessing the Boats (a title from poet Lucille Clifton) was a
solo performance about Sundiata’s kidney transplant experience. 51st (Dream)
State features music, dance, film and poetry about the US post September 11,
2001. Both works are humorous and serious and deal with questions of
mortality and identity.

University of Michigan Professor Julie Ellison worked extensively with Sundiata in
many community conversations on the themes of citizenship and identity that
were central to Sundiata’s CD’s, written work and performances. She will be
presenting a short overview on his life and work.

“Whether it was performance, music, straight reading or conversation, Sekou
had an incredible gift for clearly transmitting very deep emotional, political and
social thought” said Ellison. “His work deserves to be celebrated---and carried
on.”