The keynote speech for Pride Week took place in Nelson Commons on Wednesday, but instead of giving a speech, #blacktransmagick’s J Mase III and Vita E. performed spoken word poetry and songs focusing on their experiences as black and trans individuals.
“Part of activism is getting people to believe and internalize,” Mase said. “So (through) poetry, in the same way as through music … you can get people to feel compelled to actually believe something or do something.”
The group began a year and a half ago when Mase and Vita ended up performing together after a fellow artist became sick. The name #blacktransmagick was chosen because “we’re black, trans people, and we create magic with words and music,” Mase said.
Mase and Vita began their performances with haikus before moving on to other forms of poetry.
One of Mase’s poems was titled “Neighbor,” and Mase discussed the problems faced by transgender individuals in the U.S., such as the inability to find equal housing and job protections and how “the life expectancy of transgender people in this country is 37.”
“I might not be here much longer,” he said.
Often times, the voices heard from the LGBTQ community are from those who identify as gay or lesbian, and as the sex they were assigned to at birth, Jordan Kelly, the LGBTQ affairs vice-commissioner for Student Senate, said.
“We wanted to make sure we (brought) someone who exemplify the experiences we don’t hear as much about,” Kelly, who is a senior studying specialized studies with an emphasis on student development and campus resources, said.
Vita, who uses they/them pronouns, said many of their poems deal with the experience of having a mental disability.
One of Vita’s poems highlighted the term “neurodivergent,” which describes a person who has mental disabilities and requires prescriptions to aid them.
“Being neurodivergent is something that runs in my family and something I struggle with,” Kelley said. “It was really good to hear about someone else’s struggles with them, personally.”
The group ended the night with a cover of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Vallie sung by Vita with a monologue from Mase dedicated to his father who passed away several years ago.
