Kelechi Jaavaid

For more than 10 years, Kelechi Jaavaid has worked in the Minneapolis Public Schools as an educator, mentor and tutor, reaching students with poetry and spoken word while incorporating comical and dramatic twists. He has performed as a poet, comic and spoken word artist throughout the Twin Cities including the National Association of Black Journalists, First Avenue, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Acme Comedy Club, and various comedy venues. He has also read and performed poetry in Ghana, West Africa.

Workshop Description

In Kelechi’s workshop, students will compare the lyrics of Hannibal Lokumbe’s In The Spirit of Being to other music, and then create their own theme or lyrics representing issues that effect today’s youth, such as bullying, peer pressure or abusive behavior. At the end of the workshop students will present their themes and use poetry or spoken word as a solution.

To Prepare Students

• Have students write a narrative poem about themselves or somebody important in their lives

Please prepare the following activities:

• Words of Life: The Poetry of Langston Hughes on p. 85
• Poetry of Struggle: “Enslaved” by Claude McKay on p. 102
• Words of Change: Quotable Quotes on p. 116