HBO Def Poet to perform at VUJC
Award-winning spoken word poet Carlos Andrés Gómez, star of HBO’s “Def Poetry” and Spike Lee’s #1 movie “Inside Man” with Denzel Washington, will perform on February 11th from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jasper Campus Classroom Buildings (JCCB) Lecture Hall as part of his Majority of One College Tour.
Hailing from New York City, Gómez has performed at more than 300 colleges and universities since 2006.
Author of the groundbreaking memoir “Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood” (Gotham Books/Penguin Random House), he has been featured on NPR, TEDx, Upworthy, Central Park SummerStage, and, most recently, showcased his talent in MTV’s first ever poetry slam alongside hip hop luminary Talib Kweli.
A former social worker and public school teacher, Carlos first made a name for himself by winning at the Apollo Theater’s celebrated Amateur Night and later as a member of the renowned Nuyorican Poets Café’s slam team. In 2008, he collaborated with Tony Award-winning tap dance legend Savion Glover on Broadway.
“It’s amazing to connect with such diverse audiences along this journey,” says Gómez, “from a working-class neighborhood in San Antonio to a rural town in Indiana to the beach breezes of Miami to a theater on Broadway. It’s the ultimate testament to creativity bringing people together, building a new vision for our world. This is why I do art.”
The tour’s title, inspired by what Carlos strives to achieve through his work, encourages each person to recognize the powerful agent for change they might be.
As Carlos states, “It’s not that one person can make a difference, each one of us does –for better or worse. The question then is: which one will you be?”
The event will consist of a full performance set by the artist followed by a book signing and photo opportunity for audience members. Admission is free.
VUJC welcomes students, faculty, staff, and the general public to this amazing spoken word poetry event. For additional information, contact Josh Doak, Student Activities Coordinator at VUJC, at (812) 481-5941 or jdoak@vinu.edu.
