Ashlee Haze Poetry Set
Highly acclaimed spoken word artist Ashlee Haze performed in the Assembly Hall on Saturday, Apr. 29. Haze amazed the audience with her skillful delivery of original slam poetry touching on race, womanhood and social images portrayed in the media.
Haze began writing at the early age of ten, “writing down my thoughts to just get it out of my body,” she said. Since then, she has participated in multiple competitions and events, earning the nickname, “Big 30” for her frequent perfect scores. Some of her many accomplishments include being a 2-time Women of the World Poetry Slam Finalist, a four-time member of Java Monkey Slam Team, and being featured in a documentary about the lives of Atlanta’s Spoken Word Artists.
“It’s important to be represented, and to see representation up on stage, and I think people saw that tonight.”
Associate Director of Student Activities Kelly McGahie contacted Haze when she saw her performance in Baltimore a few months earlier. “When I saw her in Baltimore, from what I could see, everybody was very engaged,” she said. McGahie attributed Haze’s compelling stage presence to the content she presented. “It’s important to be represented, and to see representation up on stage, and I think people saw that tonight.” Upper Dolapo Adedokun echoed her sentiment, saying, “I would even say it was less of an event, and more of a conversation. She was incredibly friendly and welcoming, asking us questions, giving us phrases to repeat, and more.”
Haze’s performance of her powerful poems sparked discussions of serious political and social issues. Racial injustice was one of the most prominent topics of her poems. She wrote her first poem about the movie “The Help,” directed by Tate Taylor, which tells stories about black female housekeepers in the 1960s. In the poem, she offered a potent description of the ongoing racial segregation happening at the time, and said that she related to the movie because “these women looked like [the] women who raised me.” She expressed her gratitude for the inspiration they gave her and the sacrifice they made. “I am proud to be the daughter of freedom marchers, of Mississippi maids, Birmingham martyrs,” she said, “On Mar. 6, 2012, I graduated from Georgia State University, and it was a testament to the women before me who cleaned houses so I wouldn’t have to. Who served coffee quietly so I could become a poet.”
Sexism was another important theme of her poems. She recited an original piece that responded to the misogynistic words of a rapper she had once loved who had said women could not be president. Senior Bella Edo said that Haze’s poems portrayed her “own experience with her family history, as well as [the] media, while seamlessly intertwining womanhood and gender.”
Haze also discussed body positivity and how to accept one’s own identity. She shared that someone once told her that her face was pretty, implying that the rest of her body was not. Since then, she has grown stronger as a plus size woman of color by fighting the stereotypical images of beauty communicated by the media and the words of others. “She did a beautiful job of showing what her experience has been as a plus-size woman of color and that made all of her pieces incredibly moving,” Edo said.
Haze’s words earned several murmurs and snaps in appreciation from the small yet eager audience. “I had a connection to the performer because she was a woman of color who is familiar with southern culture,” lower Chandler Jean-Jacques said. “The speaker was successful because of her humor and ability to relate with so many different people.” Although the themes Haze spoke about were quite serious, Edo commended her ability to “keep the poem lighthearted at times and continuously engaging.”
Despite the fact that many who went were deeply touched by Haze’s work, they were surprised and saddened by the lack of attendance. Adedokun said, “It’s a shame to see such a great artist not get the audience she deserved.” Nevertheless, the inspiration Haze left to her listeners was profound. Jean-Jacques considered all the poems that Haze presented “cleverly crafted.” Edo agreed and said that Haze was able to touch on serious topics which people don’t necessarily always talk about. The students felt that Haze’s poetry, which relayed important messages to the audience, should have received a greater audience.
Regardless of the turnout, Haze successfully shared her passion for poetry and art with the audience, allowing them to hear important messages in an unusual and creative way. For Haze, her art is special because it conveys her social values and makes an impact on those who witness. “Sometimes, when you’re at work and you’re out on the front lines, and you need a safe space to create and to listen to those who create, it’s definitely a healing mechanism,” she said.