CityLit Project Hosts Baltimore’s Writers Resist Reading by Jack Livingston
On Sunday, January 15, 2017, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, writers gathered to participate in over 100 events in different cities all over the world under the collective name Writers Resist. They came together in protest against the Presidency of Donald Trump. As a part of this action, hosted by CityLit Project, eighteen writers from around the Maryland gathered at the EMC Collective in downtown Baltimore to read from their works.
This audio recording of that event features, in order, a welcome by the Executive Director CityLit Project Carla Du Pree and CityLit Project Board Chair Brian Lyles, followed by readings and performances by Nevasha Daya, Kay Adler, Saida Agostini, Linda Joy Burke, Andria Nacina Cole, Dario DiBattista, Fred Foote, Writers in Baltimore Schools: Jamesha Caldwell, Writers in Baltimore Schools: Rejjia Camphor, Writers in Baltimore Schools: Izell Grimes, Laura Shovan, Rienne Jahnai, Kevin Shird, Mejdulene Shomali, Edgar Gabriel Silex, Abdu Ali, Ron Kipling Williams, Tariq Touré, and Derick Ebert. Following the reading there is a short group conversation moderated by Marc Steiner.
It was a compelling two hours of personal expression, ranging from spiritual healing to cathartic rage, delivered to a rapt audience that filled the space to capacity, proving once again well written words deliver enormous power. Writers occupy an important part of any successful resistance. These writers vow they will not be silent in the face of the escalation of a war on women and people of color this current regime promises.
Going forward all participating writers, and the many more who will join, are forming an ongoing movement to fight the dangers of the new authoritarian president, and his reactionary congress. Writers Resist has since transformed to Write Our Democracy, a collective who will continue to “put their pens into political practice.”
All photographs by Danielle Du Pree
Executive Director CityLit Project Carla Du Pree
Audience at EMP Collective
Nevash Days
Kay Adler
Saida Agostini
Linda Joy Burke
Andria Nacina Cole
Dario DiBattista
Fred Foote
Jamesha Caldwell
Rejjia Camphor
Izell Grimes
Laura Shovan
Rienne Jahnai
Kevin Shird
Mejdulene Shomali
Edgar Gabriel Silex
Abdu Ali
Ron Kipling Williams
Tariq Touré
Derick Ebert
Marc Steiner
The spirit and mission of CityLit is to build and connect communities of avid readers and writers across Maryland. Since 2004, they have worked diligently to create programs and design platforms that give writers—all writers, and the communities they represent—a voice.
