WORD, a spoken word poetry group at Yale, marked its 20th anniversary with its annual fall show on Saturday. The event featured performances addressing issues such as race, gun violence, sexuality, and grief.
Around 200 students filled the auditorium at William L. Harkness Hall for the event. Adiyah Obolu ’27, the group’s Creative Director, explained that WORD, a resident group through the Afro-American Cultural Center, is a tight-knit community where writers support one another in developing their craft.
Obolu reflected on the significance of the anniversary. “We’re Yale’s oldest spoken word group with such a rich history,” she said. “It’s a time to be grateful for being part of a space that has been cultivated for so long.”
The fall show preparations started almost a month ago, following auditions and callbacks that brought six new members to WORD. Jean-Claude Pierre ’28, one of the new members, shared how the group’s workshops helped him refine and memorize the poem he performed.
“When I first stepped on stage, I was nervous and shaking,” Pierre recalled. “But after practicing and editing, I had probably read the poem hundreds of times. Once I began performing, I was in the flow and in the moment. Everything else faded away.”
Obolu emphasized that the group’s workshops maintain the integrity of each poet’s voice. Feedback is offered as suggestions, respecting the poet’s personal style.
For Obolu, the diverse backgrounds of the group’s members have been crucial to her growth as an artist. Many members highlighted the importance of spoken word poetry at institutions like Yale, noting its connection to social activism. Obolu, who performed a poem about gun violence in Black communities, said spoken word poetry allows artists to speak truth to power.
“Poetry is about speaking truth to power. At a place like Yale, where the motto is ‘light and truth,’ we have a responsibility to raise our voices against injustices,” Obolu explained. “Poetry isn’t just an art form; it’s an academic form that invites the audience to think critically.”
Pierre added that WORD provides students, especially those from privileged backgrounds, a chance to better understand experiences outside their own. Audience member Sophie Mo ’28 agreed, describing the performances as powerful because they forced listeners to confront the emotions and truths of others.
“Regardless of what you believe, you had to sit there and witness their emotions and face their truths,” Mo said. “You couldn’t just get up and stop reading. You were an active witness to their thoughts.”
Another attendee, Gianna Campillo ’25, said the show’s collaborative feel, enhanced by audience participation through snapping, clapping, and murmuring, created a strong sense of community. Campillo and Mo, both attending to support friends, felt the personal connection made the experience even more meaningful.
“With the added layer of knowing the performer as a person, I got to see a different side of them, one that was vulnerable and deep,” Mo said. “It almost made me cry. It moved me a lot.”
In addition to their performances, WORD plans to offer more public writing workshops and continue to raise awareness about the role of spoken word poetry in social activism and campus life. The group will host an open-mic event in collaboration with Yale Lit on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. in the Silliman Acorn.
