COLLECTIVE VOICES POETRY EXTRAVAGANZA

Photo credit by Terri Allen.

Martin Luther King Memorial Library on January 15, 2011

January 15, 2011. Martin Luther King Memorial Library. 15th Annual Poetry Extravaganza

Assisted Terri Allen with the stage design for the 15th Annual Poetry Extravaganza which took place at Martin Luther King Memorial Library.

"Terri Allen currently serves as the Executive Director of the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts (CAAPA) a 501c3 non-profit arts organization dedicated to help “Bring Color to the Classics” by supporting and helping to promote Black Classical musicians and others in the performing arts. Under her leadership, she has helped broaden CAAPA’s reach to include national and international exposure, partnerships, and programs including: music scholarships, a year-round performance series, the Opera for Fun Youth Outreach Program, REACH International, and a national MasterClass Series, where she partners with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) music departments throughout the U.S.A."

"Collective Voices, a Washington, DC-based and nationally-recognized sisterhood of poets, addresses socially relevant issues and challenges of today with positive words of inspiration will “Poetry Extravaganza 2006”, a free-to-the-community event, in collaboration with CAAPA (Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts). The poetry group, founded in 1996, is comprised of J. Joy “Sistah Joy” Matthews Alford, Sylvia Dianne “Lady Di” Beverly-Patterson, and Billye Okera. Past members Carolyn Coley -Joyner and Angela Boykin-Turnull will participate in this 10th year tribute honoring Dr. King. Now deceased founding member, Margie Jones, will be posthumously honored in the form of an annual scholarship to her surviving young daughter, Terina Nicole Jones. “We strive to give back to the community, stated Alford. “Honoring Dr. King’s legacy is our major objective, one which we accomplish through the sharing of the spoken word.” she continued."