Crystal Leigh Endsley, visiting assistant professor of Africana Studies, was invited to headline as an educator and an artist in events at Wake Forest University recently.
On Feb. 11, Endsley led workshops titled “The Writings On the Wall” which invited student and staff participants from Wake Forest and Winston-Salem State to explore and examine the competing discourses that work to construct their identities. On Feb. 12, Endsley facilitated a second writing workshop she calls “(Hard)Core Values” which guides participants through the experience of naming core values and the role of the performance artist in maintaining social responsibility. The workshop concluded with the students composing and performing poetry that resisted and/or reflected the stereotypes and personal values that they discussed over the weekend.
The two-day conference closed with a final “Can-I-Poet?” show that presented the work of acclaimed poet Tony Keith and national recording artist Oveous Maximus, and concluded with a featured spoken word set by Crystal Leigh Endsley. Endsley is a return guest of Wake Forest University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs in collaboration with the student organization “Can-I-Poet?”
