VGCC student Rachel Williams of Oxford (center) was named the winner of the Black History Month Poetry Slam by the two judges, Dr. Tanya Olson, a VGCC English/humanities instructor and poet (left) and guest poet Dasan Ahanu of Raleigh (right). (VGCC photo)
Vance-Granville Community College kicked off a celebration of Black History Month with a special event on Feb. 3 as part of a series of activities coordinated by the VGCC Counseling Services department. The kick-off event, held in the VGCC Main Campus Student Lounge, opened with remarks from the new president of the college, Dr. Stelfanie Williams. “Black history is a rich tapestry on the quilt of American history,” Williams said, on what was only her third day in office. “We have all been enriched by the contributions of countless black Americans. In fact, that is the beauty of all history. Each of us gets to contribute. We are all authors of history.” She cited the examples of baseball legend Jackie Robinson and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks, who both graduated from community colleges, and comedian Bill Cosby, who earned a GED. “Community colleges have been and continue to be the most diverse sites of higher learning. This means that you are democracy in action,” Williams told the students. “You and your fellow students can make a difference together. Vance-Granville is the Gateway to Endless Possibilities, and the education that you receive will allow you to open doors for those who come after you. So celebrate black history, write your own story, and add your own patchwork to the rich history we all share.”
Williams then moved from the past to “the future” as she introduced “The Wee Vanguards,” children from the Day Care Center on Main Campus. The young students sang songs and recited poems that touched on themes of diversity, working together, and great figures from black history such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and George Washington Carver.
Also making remarks was Dr. Tolokun Omokunde of Oxford, the new coordinator of VGCC’s Male Mentoring Program. The program is open to any male student who attends VGCC, but the emphasis is on minority males in particular.
The event continued with VGCC’s fifth annual “Poetry Slam,” moderated by Dr. Tanya Olson, a VGCC English/humanities instructor and poet. She discussed the tradition of “spoken-word” poetry and introduced nationally-known “slam poet” Dasan Ahanu of Raleigh to present samples of his work. Olson also introduced four students to read their original poems. She and Ahanu named one of them, College Transfer student Rachel Williams of Oxford, as the winner of the poetry slam for the second consecutive year. As the winner, Williams received a package of prizes including a drawstring bag, water bottle, dog tag, t-shirt and bracelets bearing inspirational messages such as “Celebrate Diversity” and “Together We Make One World.” The first 100 students in attendance received bracelets bearing the motto, “Believe, Achieve, Succeed.”
VGCC counselor Tieren Evans served as mistress of ceremonies for the kick-off event and asked Black History-themed trivia questions of the audience, giving out prizes for correct answers.