Pluck! Featuring the Affrilachian Poets
by Katy Bennett, Student Activities Board
(Feb. 6, 2014) — In honor of Black History Month, the University of Kentucky's Student Activities Board Multicultural Committee is hosting "Pluck! Featuring the Affrilachian Poets," at 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, Feb. 6, in the William T. Young Library auditorium.
The Affrilachian Poets will share tales of colorful personal history and political statements in their work. Hear from and meet Affrilachian poets, including Makalani Bandele, Joy Priest, Bianca Spriggs and Ricardo Nazario Colon.
The Affrilachian Poets is a group of writers that formed at the University of Kentucky's Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Center in the early 1990s, led by then program coordinator and current Poet Laureate of Kentucky Frank X Walker. In 1991, Walker went to a reading featuring several authors and poets. Originally billed as "The Best of Appalachian Writing," the name of the event was changed to "The Best of Southern Writing" to accommodate South Carolina-born poet Nikky Finney. After inquiring about why the name of the event had been changed, Walker discovered that "Appalachian" wasn't fully encompassing of everyone who grew up in the region. That led him to coin the term "Affrilachian" — a person of African decent from the Appalachian region of the United States.
"Pluck! Featuring the Affrilachian Poets," is free and open to the public. Refreshments will follow the event.
SAB brings more than 100 entertaining, educational and enriching programs that are reflective of contemporary issues and trends to the University of Kentucky annually. These programs are designed to enhance the college experience for students, faculty, staff and the greater Lexington community.
Connect with SAB at www.uksab.org, follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/UKSAB or like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UKSAB. For more information about SAB and events, email contact@uksab.org or text a question beginning with SABQ, followed by your question or comment, to 411-247.
Hear from Affrilachian Poets founding member Frank X Walker about being named Poet Laureate of Kentucky:
student activities board
affrilachian poets
martin luther king jr cultural center
frank x walker