RICHMOND, Va. — High school students from across Richmond Public Schools took the stage at the Visual Arts Center on Saturday to share their original poetry during the RPS Poetry Slam Tournament.
The event provided a platform for students to express their experiences, perspectives, and creativity while empowering them to use their voices in front of a wider community audience.
Oliver Perry, an English teacher at Armstrong High School, said the event was a loose and open opportunity for students to be authentic.
"The RPS Poetry Slam is totally an opportunity for Richmond public school students to express themselves through poetry," Perry said. "I think more than anything it's just empowered students to use their voices and try something new and they've done a great job so far."
The tournament featured students from every RPS high school, allowing them to meet peers from across the city and share their stories with family members, teachers, and the public.
FULL INTERVIEW: Richmond teachers beam with pride as students perform at RPS Poetry Slam
Vincent Simone, an English teacher at Richmond Community High School, said his team of four students had to prepare on short notice. The group even practiced their piece at his house the morning of the event after returning from a school camping trip.
"I think for me the main thing is just to give the students a real opportunity to be heard by a wider audience," Simone said. "They're used to being heard by their teachers and their peers at school, but to have the community interface with them in this way is just special."
Organizers and partners, including the local organization Podium, helped pull the event together to ensure students had a public space to shine.
"RPS is an amazing public school system with so many amazing stories to share," Perry said. "Contribute in any way you can, which for most people is coming out and watching our poets perform."
"There's a lot inside these students and I think anything they can do to amplify their voices is important," Simone said.
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