Poet Presents A Love Letter to Blackness

The poet Kai Davis reads her poems in the Skyline Room on Thursday.
(Photo by KaDarius Lee)

By KaDarius Lee

Trinity University’s Black Student Union hosted a spoken word night on Thursday, featuring the poet Kai Davis, as part of the Black History Month.

About 30 students gathered in the Skyline Room to hear Davis present her love letter to Blackness.

An African American queer woman, Davis mostly deals with the complex issues of race, gender, power, and sexuality in her work.

Davis presented a collection of poems from her book titled “Ain’t I.” These poems touched on various topics ranging from Blackness and womanhood to queerness, and how living in America with these identities can affect mental health.

She also had little problem shedding light on subjects that could make people feel uncomfortable. She told the story of a professor at Temple University telling her that “Black women need to put their petty s**t aside.” This didn’t sit well with Davis and was the spark that inspired her poem about the weight that African-American women have to carry on their shoulders and how their efforts often go unappreciated.

“It went really well,” Gabby Mudekunye, senior Biology major, said of the event. “There were a lot of things she said that people don’t talk about.”

Some participants of the event recognized that representation of minorities on Trinity’s campus continued to be a concern, as some minority students felt underrepresented both in the student body and in the administration.

“Trinity can promote empathy and encourage the community to attend events hosted by the Black Student Union as well as the local San Antonio community,” said Melody Nikmaram, sophomore Biology major. Mudekunye echoed the point, “Trinity should hype up Black events like they do the others.”

“Having a sense of community around you is how you find your voice,” said Davis. The validation she felt from those around her helped her overcome substance abuse and depression. The happiness and satisfaction inspired her to write a poem documenting her experience, which she ended with the soft, humbling words, “I’m good.”