The power of the spoken word needs to be felt by a variety of ages and races, says poet and activist Jolivette Anderson. Currently the artist-in-residence at Lanier High School in Jackson, Anderson is bringing her long-time poetry-hostessing skills to Soulshine Pizza, in the Hal & Mal’s complex, every Wednesday night starting Jan. 8. She will host a poetry open-mic, featuring the sounds of nu-soul band Break of Dawn.
Shreveport, La., native Anderson, who performs at events from fashion shows to last year’s Medgar Evers Memorial Service, is one of the city’s best-known poets. She has long been involved with Jackson’s rich underground poetry scene, previously working with jazzman Ezra Brown of E.B. and Company and the Mississippi Vibes to host events at venues throughout the area, often presenting a fusion of music and poetry.
But the effort hasn’t been without frustration, with the poetry scene constantly moving from place to place without finding a regular venue where a variety of people feel comfortable. Anderson hopes that Soulshine will be that welcoming kind of home. “I think we’ll draw mixed races and mixed ages because of its location,” she says. “Lot of time we (poets) are isolated into neighborhoods that a lot of white people wouldn’t want to come into after dark. For some reason, Hal & Mal’s is the most neutral place in the city, it seems. People of all backgrounds feel comfortable coming there. The place itself is somewhat of an institution.” She hopes to present a night that will welcome “professors, community people, young professionals and college students all in the same venue.”
Anderson plans to allow both poetry with and without music, what she calls the “entertainment part of poetry.” She will also bring her activist side to Soulshine. “I’ll try to educate people about the importance of reading, studying and becoming active in the community with politics and understanding of what it’s all about,” she says.
Inexperienced poets and performers need not fear, she says. “I’m very encouraging to people, young writers especially. It’s a venue to express yourselves, have fun, and have a little peace of mind thrown in there with it. It’s a family affair,” she says.
— Donna Ladd
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.
