Next Man Up, Poetry in Motion

Announcer 0:00
This is a K-Unb Studios original program. The

Wesley Knight 0:05
content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz and Moore, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Donavan LeDean 0:15
Here we go, here we go, move it, move it, move it. next man up

Donavan LeDean 0:28
dave.

Donavan LeDean 0:41
Hello, and welcome to the show. I'm your host, Donna Billy Dean, actor, author, and inspirational rhythmic poet. Get out tuned in to Next Man Up, Poetry in Motion, where the mission is to promote good mental health for everyone. This poetry show will motivate, educate, and inspire you with spoken word through cultural expression. We have a special guest in the building, Walter English, who is a genealogist, poet, author, historian, and Lula's grandson, whose work focuses on helping descendants of American chattel slavery recover their family history. He is the founder of the nonprofit Brister English Project, an initiative dedicated to making genealogical research, historical records, and education more accessible to the black community. Walter, my brother, thank you for being here.

Walter English 1:34
Thank you for having me. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you.

Donavan LeDean 1:38
For our listeners, elaborate a little, a little bit more on the Bristol English Project, and what services you may be offering or have going on right now for your nonprofit.

Walter English 1:50
So, the Bristol English Project is a nonprofit that helps descendants of American chattel slavery with our genealogy by making it accessible to us at no cost to us, so that's through direct work over 200 family trees in the last four years, that is through free resources, an archive that I'm building currently on my website, and that is through events like I'm currently hosting, coming up for this Juneteenth, where we're going to be archiving, creating a living archive in person.

Donavan LeDean 2:17
Okay, phenomenal, through the Bristol English Project, as you mentioned, you've helped more than 180 180 families reconnect with ancestors, uncover stories, bird inside records connected to slavery, the Reconstruction period, as well as the Jim Crow era. You've gone even further with your mission, collaborating with institutions such as the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Princeton University Press, the Lemon Project, Setting Hall University, and the Las Vegas Clark County Library District. What inspired you to dive deep into genealogy that connects with research and historical records for the black community,

Walter English 3:01
so my parents were born during the Jim Crow era, early 50s, and so I was kind of instilled with so much community, so much love, and so much family, and I wanted to know more about my family, and I learned that my parents were kind of hesitant to talk about certain things, and so I made it my mission, and started becoming started looking into our own records, which led to a conversation with an enslaver descendant on my dad's side of the family. After talking to him, finding out more about the family, I decided to dedicate my life to this. I quit my nine to five, and genealogy and the community became my priority.

Donavan LeDean 3:39
Wow, phenomenal. Um so you're co-hosting a community Juneteenth event here in the Vegas Valley, and so when and where will this event be held, and what can we expect at this event?

Walter English 3:57
So, this will be held at Ferguson downtown here in Las Vegas, it's right down this right down the road from Fremont. This be co-hosted with Tofu Tees. So, what you get there, we'll have things for kids, like an art station. I want kids to create their own family emblems, so they can leave with something that's really tangible, something that they created. So, it's a lot of artwork. We're also going to be interviewing elders. I'm going to have my microphone by my own, my podcast equipment, and I want conversations between kids and their grandparents, but also want these elders to come and tell their story, so they're not forgotten. And then we're also going to be, yeah, that's the, that's the main thing, archival work, making this living archive, and then a scavenger hunt, the black vendors there. Okay, with black vendors there, I want to make sure that they get paid to offer some of the stuff that they have to the community.

Donavan LeDean 4:49
Yeah,

Walter English 4:49
because a lot of the same way that we get into the community, the same way we get into genealogy, and that is with curiosity.

Donavan LeDean 4:53
That's well needed.

Walter English 4:54
So, you know, I want to make sure the vendors are paid, and they're going to help me with the scavenger hunt. So, these kids are going to walk around families. Going to walk around trying to find a hidden ancestor.

Donavan LeDean 5:03
Yeah,

Walter English 5:04
and so through this, making it fun, they can learn about migration, they can learn about certain kind of records, census records, social security records, stories, all through what these records tell us.

Donavan LeDean 5:14
That's ideal and very creative, definitely. And where can they find more about you, your info, and info about your nonprofit.

Walter English 5:23
You can see more about it at Brister EP dot info, as well as my social media pages is at former Love Poet.

Donavan LeDean 5:34
Okay, and before we let you go, I would like you to share a poem for us. You ready?

Walter English 5:39
Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Donavan LeDean 5:40
Kane Tato. to him.

Walter English 5:43
So, this is a Pantone called Thoughts from a Black Boy in America. I am the one in front of the gun. I am terrified. I know I won't live forever. I haven't even reached my prime. I am terrified, like a rookie at the free throw line. I haven't reached my prime yet. My life is riding on this shot, like a rookie at the free throw line. My heart is racing, yet my life is riding on this shot. My hands are up, my heart is racing. I try to seem less like a threat. My hands are up. I'm doing everything you said. I try to seem less like a threat. Mama, look, I'm doing everything you said. Why does this hurt? Mama, look, I'm the one in front of the gun. Why does this hurt? I know I won't live forever. I am the one in front of the gun. I am terrified. I know I won't live forever. I haven't even reached my prime. Thank you. Oof,

Donavan LeDean 6:52
RFL powerful.

Walter English 6:56
Thank you,

Donavan LeDean 6:57
Walter English. My brother, thank you for your time.

Walter English 7:00
Thank you for having me.

Donavan LeDean 7:01
The poets that'll be featured on our playlist today are Asheena Burke, Luna Shimoro, the unknown oldest Sheldon, Alex Sebastian, Liz Prince, Stephon Petway, Chelsea Marae, and Donovan Li Ding. Now let's get on with the show. This is Next Man Up: Poetry in motion. Here we go, here we go. Next man up,

Speaker 3 7:32
nervous heart. I'm trying to find a way, try to curb and sacred and do it. That's the dust I go

Donavan LeDean 7:58
in with a fresh mind and a pure heart. Mistakes were made. Go in with a fresh start. The emphasis is today. The uncertainty is tomorrow. I live another day. That's success. Time is borrowed. Carnage is on a regular. Another family, they see grief. Mics were cut off. Still, the Tennessee three were able to speak on the crying girl and dying boy slain by soft styles. Too many bullets to avoid. Pray for 'em as they attempt to fight for a law made for all, as they attempt to prevent another body to fall. History to make, and yet in the midst of infamy, they're setting aside politics for human safety, making enemies. Your vote can avoid the way the temple, your vote can avoid the maybe, and pull in what it gots to be unprecedented. As we witness the headlines of an indictment, as the rich make more money on merch poses as victims, inciting another riot. Never quiet, the problem is online. War foreigners are crowding us borders like refugees. After Roe v. Wade reversed, more women are escaping red snakes like refugees. More protest in the streets like help us please. And I need a open minds and clear views, so that one day workers, universal health care, making headlines on CNN News, Excel, pray, wait for it. Peace never came. Now beware of a man force bound to take the republic. God bless us as we fight for peace on earth, as mankind kills one another to gain more turf, for drugs, for crops, for money, for crop, urgent messaging, human to human, heart to heart. Change your route for a fresh start. Next man up.

Speaker 4 9:42
Black love, the kind of love that starts off by aching because we're terrified, terrified of showing our soul, laying down masks, having our triggers exposed. What kind of father did I have? So, how do I see black men? What kind of mother? Care that you have, so how do you see black women? Black love is on the siege, it's being attacked, and sometimes it implodes from the inside out. Because instead of holding each other up, we tear each other down. But what if what if there was another way, a scarier one, but one that almost guarantees success, one that demands that we see each other, look right into our soul, and breathe, cry, scream, but then what follows is peace, a love so strong it runs through generations and cultures, between Africans, African Americans and Caribbeans between men and women that were told they should hate each other. What happens on the other side of the conversation? It doesn't deny the truth, it doesn't deny the betrayal, it acknowledges it sits and stands in it, but then lets it go, moves on to a better tomorrow, starting with a possible today. Black love, the kind of love they said we could never have. Brothers and sisters, not from another mother, but from the same father, the one above. Black love, the one that builds communities, black Wall Streets, like the ones we saw burn down. True love, like a man and a woman holding hands through trauma, healing together, walking the path that's narrow, so that our children have a broader path. Reinvented love, the one that doesn't follow rules but follows values and standards, uplifts women and honors them, sees the queen and treats her like one, so she can hold up her king, let him come home to a safe space where she can hold his soul, cover his heart, and be the one to protect him for once. Do you believe in black love, the one that teaches our children how to love their hair, their foreheads, and their noses. How to love their skin unapologetically. How to sing our songs and dance our dances and hold our traditions, at least the ones that serve us, the ones that remind us where we're from, the continent that holds the imprints of our identity. I believe in black love, so I'm waiting, waiting for my king to find me to recognize his queen amidst all the other women that claim they desire him, but I'm the only one who truly sees me. That's my kind of love, black love. A black love

Donavan LeDean 12:45
next man up, Dave.

The Unknown Odist 12:48
When home doesn't feel the same as it was, where shall I go to feel that old love? I need a new place for my soul to find ease, for my mind to find solace, for my heart to find peace. Another day is draining, another night the same. I can only hope tomorrow I can leave with what remains. Can leave with what remains.

Donavan LeDean 13:09
Next man up,

Speaker 5 13:10
Palindrome one at C. Can I achieve hope all by myself when I'm far off, almost lost in causing waves, in causing waves almost lost. When I'm far off all by myself, can I achieve

Donavan LeDean 13:41
hope? Poem, oh. Next man up presents Chelsea Marae Queen Tall Tour. Here we go, here we go. Next man up,

Chelsea Maraee 13:51
there's a man, and I swear God carved his name into my soul long before I learned to pray. He walks like he got God in his stride, like peace found a forever in his bones, and every time he laughs, the world hushes just to listen. Loving him feels like home, an awakening, like the divine in me bows to the divine in him. This ain't your story book, white picket fence kind of love law. This is that hood love that concrete rolls bulletproof heart kind of love, the kind of love that smells like cocoa butter and late night drive-through fries kind of love. I met him where pain and prayers became neighbors, somewhere between this life and the last, not in the flesh first, but in frequency, like my soul recognized his tongue before my hands ever touched his skin, not desire but recognition, like our spirits have been circling each other for lifetimes, waiting for this exact collision, we don't do van. See dates, we do drive-bys of the moon, windows down, hands intertwined, his voice humming peace over pain, and I swear the star has been closer every time he says my name. This is the kind of love the church doesn't preach about, but the ancestors smile over because they know what it is, it's divine alignment in Nike slides and tattoos, it's angels and air forces, it's spirit and struggle, learning how to hold hands and call it forever, because this love, it ain't from this world, it's heaven in a hoodie, God in a gold chain eternity in the eyes of a man who came from nothing and still gives me everything, so I don't curse the circumstance. Thank the divine for allowing me to touch eternity, even if only in silence. Some loving meant to be only experienced in this one, this one. Please, and this one, this one feels like God wrote it in the stars, and then trust in my heart to read it out loud.

Donavan LeDean 16:10
Next man up, Kwe Tal Talton.

Rachel De Vera 16:15
I am a Filipina, brown sugar skin, almond-eyed sight, voice deep, resilient, and full of fight. I am a Filipina. Vocals like Whitney and Aretha singing knees to the ground as I hum heavenly sounds. I am a Filipina. I eat with my hands. Dried rice on my shirt don't matter, because when I flirt, I am a Filipina. Wrote two PCNs, twirling candles around my palms, dancing to nickling, while keeping calm. I am a Filipina. Got a sister that's a nurse. She survived COVID 19 at its worst. I am a Filipina, watching corrupt legal crimes. My bloodline dancing on picket lines. I am a Filipina. Ruby Ibarra wraps in serenades, inspiring an era of rebelling renegades. I am a Vegas Filipina DJ E Rock Bee Sting and P Dot Rocking these streets, their sets never flop. A Vegas Filipina. Follow the lights to California Hotel. If you know, you know that oxtail real well. A Vegas Filipina, making something out of nothing, making space for all human race to come together, fly birds of a feather. Humanity in our voices and our choices are clever. I am a Filipina American, immigrate, no hate, spreading poetically put my words, that's my fate. I am a Filipina. What are you

Donavan LeDean 17:51
next man up? Dave, before you go, I would like for you to share Paul for

The Unknown Odist 17:56
us. Oh, yes. Ready? I'm ready. All

Speaker 2 17:57
right, can

The Unknown Odist 18:05
Life don't come with a manual, just scandals and sandals on paths that burn like candles. We gamble with fate like Vegas nights, fight our reflections like shadows with rights, ingest wisdom from old heads that never chewed slow. I grew, though, through potholes and plot holes and folks that got goals, but stopped cold when dreams felt like frostbite. I toss light and dark spaces and spark stages with truth, cause life ain't a sprint, it's a loop, a fruit that ripens with bruises, a fuse lit by losses that win if you use it, and it's life and in this life.

Donavan LeDean 18:44
Next man up presents Luda Queen Tauto. Here we go, here we go. Next man up.

Luna 18:51
They told us hell is a place where you go to burn in the flames, that hell is a home where evil lives, where sinners go to suffer forever. A burning place, a pit of fire, it smells like decay and smoke. But right here on earth, I've seen monsters that take on human form. I'll tell you the real hell, it's the negative thoughts, the thoughts living in the mind, the lies we tell ourselves, the one that whispers when the room goes quiet, the one that waits until the world goes to sleep. They crawl through your memories, digging up moments you wished were buried, they remind you of every mistake, every embarrassment, every insecurity, or even every word you wish you said or didn't say, like a broken record scratching against your skull, you know. Of those thoughts, they tell you you're not enough, or you're too much, but you should have been better, smarter, stronger, different, and the worst part, you believe them, you carry them around like an invisible parasite, feeding on your peace slowly, quietly, they eat away at you, not all at once. Oh no, just a little piece at a time, until one day you wake up, and you see the war isn't outside, it's inside. That's why they say, listen to your heart. The mind can create hell, but it can also create peace, because thoughts are seeds. Plant fear and darkness grows. Plant compassion, the mind becomes a garden. So, if we live in our minds most of the time, maybe the real question isn't where is hell. The real question is, what are we growing in a place we call home, peace or fire?

Donavan LeDean 21:15
Here we go, here we go. Next man up,

Speaker 2 21:19
coexisting in many realms of thought, a walk in prayer, meditation, I can't evade frequencies, I can't explain. Speak to me in wisdom's name. I've been on that resonance before. They coined it, Schumann's Bobby Lion can't control me. I broke out the show like I was Truman. The human programmed analytics can measure the spirit, thus they can't fully study us at this point. It's apparent. Know thyself, mental, physical, and etheric lyrics tap into your central node to the soul. You can feel it. Sit in the sun, download codes. I can hear them. There's a natural mystic flowing on Mother Nature's bio rhythm. Get on beat, connect with every single living organism, like ancestors before these evil ways of the system, walking the less traveled road. I, and I have seen many visions, many nights sitting still, yet still I listen. Guidance enters the vessel with pure precision, a choice to make daily. Why do we wrestle right decisions, tussling with the test illusions, carrying us away from the way we already know is best. Come back home, beloved. You no longer have to beat an eagle's chest, perch inside like an eagle in its nest, followers cliff dive into the next trend. Since a you always been taking heed to the riddles the elders were attesting, now I'm years ahead with good investments. Just bump my head a little less than, nonetheless, an imperfect perfection, a walk in prayer, avid meditator, realms of thought between each. I'm a mediator, a metaphor of sorts. Seeing obstacles as sport, I must master. Slow and steady wins the race. I learned that in the beginning chapters of a book, without middle or end. Life goes on again and again, I write on and on with my mind as my ink and my soul as my pen.

Donavan LeDean 23:37
Next man up,

Speaker 6 23:38
this poem is titled The Wounded bird, I've been wounded, I've been cured, I've been healed, I've been hurt, I've been blessed, I've been cursed, I've been better, I've been worse. Life's a balance with herbs, putting my trust in the universe. Even when the odds are against me, I still come up first, let go of my ego and left it all to Mother Earth. I always had my faith, I didn't need a church. Even at my lowest, I knew eventually it would be my turn. Not the most patient, but I'm always putting in the work. I always got pure intentions and keep my word. I sought help when my anxiety and grief collided. My trauma and pride tried fighting. This growth journey is like deep diving, uncovering new depths to my soul. Sometimes it feels tiring. So, seeking is not for the faint of heart. It's facing your pain head on. Never been a victim in both Aladdin and Jafar. This journey has left me with scars. Without my art, I wouldn't have made it this far. Learn to protect my energy, because I got a big heart. Let others deplete me in the past. Now I'm in charge. Now I keep myself on guard, stay sharp. Lately, I've been more in tune with the science. The other day, I looked into an injured bird's eyes, could see its fear and resilience. It wasn't ready to die. Realized how many times I didn't give up the fight reminded me of how many times I've fallen, but took it as a lesson. How many times I've been betrayed, but it was a blessing. Mother Nature telling me great things are ahead, even though life's a challenge. This is my rebirth, it. About to witness the ascension of a savage.

Donavan LeDean 25:03
Next man up,

Chelsea Maraee 25:04
Dave. I

Donavan LeDean 25:05
would like for you to share a poem for us.

Jenny Uddin 25:07
Yes,

Donavan LeDean 25:09
Jeannie, Nadine, Queen, talk to him.

Jenny Uddin 25:12
Okay. This poem is called What is poetry? What is poetry, but the act of running back and forth through the most traumatic moments of our lives, while hovering above them in eagle-eyed view, trying to understand, so we write, we take those moments, dress them up in the right emotions, sit for hours in hidden chambers, music vibrating through us, until intimacy blows, and the source speaks louder. What is poetry? Is it the desperate reach for peace, pushing through, so the feelings never claw their way back again. Or is it the mind replaying, rewinding, choosing the best scenario, hoping we can rewrite reality? Is poetry a kind of self-gaslighting? Convincing ourselves that the way we saw it, the way we felt it, wasn't distorted. Convincing others we love. I am not delusional. What I lived was real. What I felt was true. What is poetry? Is it not this endless act of holding memory and meaning until they burn into words, and we set ourselves free?

Donavan LeDean 26:12
Next man up

Speaker 7 26:13
in the absence of the sun. I dream of hope, but my eyes tell stories of a wounded heart. Throughout my trials and tribulations, I have sought a better way to understand myself, to wrap my mind around this life and make it mine. I am in search of serenity's gender touch, but these karmic entanglements keep me chasing the darkness that lives within. Combat comes with the price tag, and I must give in to complete the mission. In the end, I win again, because nothing can hold me down. I am here with reason and purpose to encapsulate and translate the multi dimensional arrays of the human experience. The light will shine

Chelsea Maraee 27:00
through me guide my way back home.

Donavan LeDean 27:13
Before we go, I would like to conclude with a power message. It's a message about moral decency. Moral decency may become compromised from who you associate with. Even worse, the compromise may turn into moral decay. Their ethical standards and social values may not align with yours, and that's okay. What's not okay is you deciding to continue a relationship being influenced from someone who is biased and shows lack of compassion or respect for others, they may do anything for money, including degrading others to get it. They could tarnish your reputation and credibility because of their lack of moral integrity, it's not worth it to be around, so be bold and move on without them. Think of the end game to thrive. Thanks for tuning in to Next Band of Poetry in Motion. I am your host, Dona Ville D. To see my inspirational and poetry reels, you can go to YouTube at Donovan Le D. Also, you can find my poetry books, children's books, and coloring books on Amazon under my name, Donovan Lee D. For actor or poets bookings, you can contact me, DV Media one zero@gmail.com Special thanks to my guest Walter English for stopping by, discussing his nonprofit genealogy mission and mental health. I am Donna Billy Dean, actor, author, and inspirational rhythmic poet. Until next time, peace, damn

Unknown Speaker 28:54
thrive. Drive, drive

Transcribed by https://otter.ai