“Learning with entertainment” were sophomore Rebecca Simeone’s words on choosing the lecturer and poet Bryonn Bain to grace the campus on Tuesday, Feb. 3 with his legally lavish lyrics.
Joining him in performing a multifaceted forum were his brother, K. Bing and cousin Red Vasquez. The trio is a Brooklyn-based band named Diorgen that presents hip-hop and rhythm and blues to many audiences.
“Racial Profiling in America after 9/11″ showcased Bain in his best – through the spoken word. Poetry flowed from his lips as naturally as the breath that inhales and exhales from his body. His poetry touched upon various topics but one prevailed; the concept of racism.
For Bain, the talk about racism is a subject that is thrown around without people not really knowing what it means. Race means different things around the world and he seeks to challenge those that do not abide by the preservation of ignorance.
In his lecture, he spoke of his experience of being singled out in a crowd for committing an alleged crime just because he was black. The biological fictions of the differences between whites and blacks have been ingrained into the mental retina of the American and after 9/11, the world community.
Bain travels to schools and prisons to teach poetry, a demographic that he holds dear. He believes that the circle of fear and racism in America has spread to be weary of Arabs, Muslims and South Asians. Several compelling questions from the audience were asked. Amy Hecht, assistant director of student activities, said, ” Higher education emphasizes the importance of a diverse campus. What do you think of this?” Bain said, ” I think it’s important for a college student to have a conversation with someone from a different background. In an increasingly smaller world, it can only reduce ignorance about your neighbor.”
The lecture was broken into intervals by poems and song by the voices of Diorgen. “Our shows are all socially conscious events. A discussion is always held and our songs all have a message,” Vaquez said.
“I thought [the performance] was amazing and articulate. It painted a good portrait of the African-American plight in America today. He showed a lot of emotion and a lot of truth in his performance,” senior Chris Boyle said.
Posted to the web by Marisa Gallelli