March 12 & 13, 2022
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Words on Fire is a two-day festival that includes DC’s Poetry Out Loud competition, a poetry slam, and a written poetry contest. Poetry Out Loud (POL) is a national competition that seeks to foster the next generation of literary readers by capitalizing on the latest trends in poetry - recitation and performance. The program builds on the resurgence of the oral art form of poetry, as seen in the slam poetry and spoken word movements. The program invites these dynamic aspects into the classroom, where teachers engage students through classroom memorization, performances and competition. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) to support Poetry Out Loud, a FREE high school program which encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This dynamic program helps high school students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, learn about their literary heritage, and compete for more than $100,000 in awards. The CAH Student Poetry Slam and Written Poetry Contest present original work by DC’s high school students. Student E-Anthology
Art on the cover: Lloyd McNeill, Rainbow People, 1991, Silkscreen, 26 1/2 × 18 11/16 in. CAH Art Bank Collection 2
2022 Participating Schools Benjamin Banneker Academic High School Capital City Public Charter High School District of Columbia International School E.L. Haynes Public Charter School Frank W. Ballou Senior High School Jah Kente International, Inc. KIPP DC College Preparatory Paul Laurence Dunbar High School St. Anselm’s Abby School Theodore Roosevelt High School Washington Latin Public Charter School
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WELCOME Reginald Van Lee, Chair Heran Sereke-Brhan, Executive Director ROUND ONE PERFORMANCE Rodney Johnson ROUND TWO PERFORMANCE Sainey Ceesay ROUND THREE PERFORMANCE Amin Dallal WINNERS ANNOUNCED
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STUDENT POETRY COMPETITION
WELCOME Reginald Van Lee, Chair Heran Sereke-Brhan, Executive Director ROUND ONE PERFORMANCE Gaelyn Smith ROUND TWO PERFORMANCE Brandon Douglas ROUND THREE PERFORMANCE Marjuan Canady WRITTEN COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED SLAM WINNERS ANNOUNCED
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About CAH First established in 1968, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is an independent agency in the District of Columbia government that evaluates and initiates action on matters relating to the arts and humanities and encourages programs and the development of programs that promote progress in the arts and humanities. CAH is the designated state arts agency for the District of Columbia and is supported primarily through District government funds and in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Visit our website to learn more about upcoming programs and grant opportunities: dcarts.dc.gov
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CAH Thanks Our Commissioners Reggie Van Lee, Chairperson Stacie Lee Banks Cora Masters Barry Maggie Fitzpatrick Quanice Floyd Rhona Wolfe Friedman Natalie Hopkinson Kymber Menkiti MaryAnn Miller Maria Hall Rooney Cicie Sattarnilasskorn Carla Sims Hector Torres José Alberto Uclés Gretchen B. Wharton Derek Younger
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CAH would like to thank all of the Words on Fire staff, volunteers, and partners who made this event possible: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Day Eight, DC SCORES, Control Video, Potomac Sound Torrey Butler, Production Manager Charity Blackwell, Emcee (Day 1) Tatiana Figueroa Ramirez, Emcee (Day 2) Edward Daniels, DJ
Judges
Jennifer Eden, Matt Capone Brandon Douglas, Ephraim Nehemiah Chelsea Iorlano, Glo Shines, Simply Sherri
Teaching Artists Mariah Barber, Raquel Brown, Malachi ‘MalPractice’ Byrd, Regie Cabico, Marjuan Canady, Sainey Ceesay, Amin Dallal, Acacia Danielsson, Brandon Douglas, Chelsea Dee Harrison, Rodney Johnson Jr., Joy Jones, Jennifer Lee, Kim B Miller, Amaru Mimms, Mary Myers, Gaelyn Smith
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