An open mic was held on Wednesday night in the Memorial Union, with guest poet Ebony Stewart, who recited a few of her own poems to inspire the audience.
Ebony Stewart is a former Sexual Health Education teacher from Texas, who writes slam poetry and tours the country to share her work.
“My purpose is always to be honest and true, and share my work with people so it’s relatable,” said Stewart. “It shows that I’m a person, that I’m human, and we’re all in this life together. Poetry is like breathing for me; it allows me to be honest about myself.”
Some of her inspirations include James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, and Lucille Clifton.
An example of Stewart’s message is from her poem “Eve,” which says that “anyone who thinks women are delicate and breakable can’t remember the ways in which they were born.”
The event was run by the Union Activities Council.
“I think that everything Ebony stands for is important. I think it’s important to have conversations about relationships and other things that might make people uncomfortable, to make people comfortable with being uncomfortable,” said Megan McReynolds, member of UAC and sophomore elementary education major. “Getting to see someone who is genuinely passionate about the topic their teaching and doing it in a way that is inspiring for other people is really cool.”
At the end of the night, Stewart held an open Q&A for students and faculty in attendance.