“I will not be moved.” — Sam Solomon
Maven, Black Miami-Dade & O, Miami share a gift to the Miami community
To see all of the photos from Bad Poems: Poetry of Resistance, Defiance & Dissent, click here. Photos were taken by Passion Ward (she|her).
“I shall not be moved.”
These are the words that an Overtown resident, civil rights activist, and the first Black man to run for a city of Miami commission seat spoke 86 years ago when confronted with an organized movement from Ku Klux Klan members to stomp out the Miami vote. Sam Solomon was not moved, and while unknown to him at the time, paved the road for “Bad Poems: Poetry of Resistance, Defiance & Dissent” to become a part of Miami’s legacy.
Walking down Aragon Avenue in Coral Gables on a Thursday night, you never truly know what to expect. You could stumble across a fresh food market, a store having a yard sale with select vinyls and antiques, or even an impromptu live art performance.
On April 10th, though, those who RSVP’d before tickets sold out in the first 48 hours or were lucky enough to stumble in got to witness and participate in a new chapter of Miami’s rich history being crafted.
Hosted by Maven Leadership Collective and Black Miami-Dade, “Bad Poems” works as an anchoring point for the community in the Miami area. Artists, educators, civil leaders, activists, and more all gathered at Books & Books for a night of laughter, tears, gratitude, creativity, vulnerability, and community building.
“We believe in one thing. That if you center queer and trans people of color and allies in the work of making more just communities, then we will be successful in creating futures that all of us can thrive in. And that we can correct some of the things that need correcting,” said Corey Davis, Maven’s founder and creative director.
This was clear through the night. Last year, it was reported that Bad Poems added to the historical record of Miami. This year, with 196 people bearing witness, it’s evident that Bad Poems has cemented itself as a Miami hallmark.
In its second year, Bad Poems is Maven’s and Black Miami-Dade’s gift to the Miami community, nestled within the O’ Miami Poetry Festival. Black Miami-Dade founder and Maven Nadege Green started the evening with a historical grounding surrounding Sam Solomon, and a firm yet playful intention setting. When people spoke, others had to hush. You didn’t want to miss out on a single word. Following that, a reading of Langston Hughes’”Ballad of Sam Solomon” was given by Arsimmer McCoy, which helped shape the intentions for the evening.
“…But Sam Solomon
Was not afraid.
On election day
He led his colored delegation
To take their rightful part
In the voting of a nation.
The crackers thought
The Ku Klux was tough—
But the Negroes in Miami
Called their bluff.
Sam Solomon said,
Go get out your Klan—
But you must’ve forgotten
A Negro is a MAN.”
Maven & 2024 Recipient of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Poetry Award, McCoy was also the MC for the evening, weaving humor, history lessons, and poetry of her own to flow through the night. Accompanied by a band of local Miami musicians, seasoned poets and newcomers were invited to share their poetry of resistance, defiance, and dissent as an open mic carried on through the night.
“Now take to the water
And let her move through you
Untill all this shit becomes still”.
New connections were made, friends who hadn’t seen each other in weeks reconnected, and by the end of the night, there was not a single dry eye in attendance.
