معرفی
Dasan Ahanu, a Raleigh-born public speaker, poet, and educator, serves as co-founder of Black Poetry Theatre and holds the title of College Professor. Recognized as the 2023 Piedmont Laureate and a Harvard Nasir Jones Fellow, his career bridges artistic practice with community engagement through spoken word, Hip Hop scholarship, and social justice initiatives.
His research explores Spoken Word Poetry as a tool for social commentary, with focus on Southern Hip Hop lyricism ("Writin’ Dirty"), intimate partner violence narratives ("When The Beat Drops"), and community healing through performance art. Projects like "Voices from the Ground" directly address systemic inequities in the Triangle region, while educational workshops dissect cultural storytelling frameworks.
Awarded the Unsung Poet Award for "Concrete Jungle Allegories", Ahanu led the Bull City Slam Team to national prominence including dual Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam victories (2010, 2014) and podium finishes at the National Poetry Slam. His GRAMMY-considered album series "(STAW) + (REE) + (TEL) + (UH)" exemplifies narrative lyricism at the intersection of jazz, soul, and spoken word.
As an educator, he mentors through the "Werk! Poetry and Performance Bootcamp" and curates community platforms including the Jambalaya Soul Slam and Urban Folklore Poetry Series. His HeavyLight Experience collective and Eloquent Soul Band fuse hip-hop, R&B, and jazz with spoken word, creating immersive experiences that amplify marginalized voices while advancing performance pedagogy.
