<
Click on the pictures below to watch the
video
The Original Woman
The Wine Up –
The Statute of
The Original Woman
National Poetry
Slam
March
for Women’s Lives Performance
The Original Woman, Sonya Renee, Mekkah The Poet
(This footage
includes most of the speeches during the morning session. Please fast forward to the middle for poetry)
View Documentary on the impact of the
March for Women’s Lives.
This includes commentary from Mekkah, The Original Woman, and
Sonya Renee!
(Created by Black Buttafly Productions)
March for Women’s Lives Article
April 25, 2004
The
day was somewhat chilly, but everyone at the Washington Mall was heated and
ready to March. If you missed the March
for Women’s Lives it seems as though you may have been the only one. From stage all you could see was droves and
droves of activist. My line of vision
could not reach the end of the masses.
The final count of people was one million one hundred and fifty seven
thousand people (1.15 million)! It was
incredible! My heart was going crazy, I
was nervous, and I felt like I was going to faint. Do to unavoidable complications – our spoken
word group (Myself, Sonya Renee, and Mekkah) had been redesigned and we had to come up with,
practice, and memorize a new reproductive rights piece at 3:30am on the day of
the March. To add more stress to this –
we had to come up with the piece by conference call, working on 3 hours of
sleep in the last 72 hours. For the last
week we had been traveling, slamming at Word Up!, and organizing for the march
across state borders back to back – so all of us was delirious! We were scheduled to go on at 11:14 am, our first practice was at 11 o’clock! I know it was crazy! Some higher power had to
be with us. “Our
bodies, our rights, our choice, our life!” We were screaming at the top of our
lungs. Sonya Renee started out with
“Culturally diversified ……….” OK, now it was my turn
to chime in “Dreadlock, brown-black poster child ……” damn I forgot the words! OK – time to improvise – and yall know my free style skills are horrible! But it came out hot anyway. The crowd was roaring in excitement about our
piece – and I could feel my body being pushed back as they screamed in
amazement! Mekkah
came in with “and this letter is holding you accountable …..” as though George
Bush was right there in her face and she was pissed off! All three of us were feeding off the crowd –
and by our last line together we were practically jumping up and down on
stage. “Women do deserve better, women
deserve choice!” The crowd responded so
enthusiastically that it felt like they were moving the whole earth! Sonya Renee later said “Wow is this what one
million people sound like?!?!”
The
day was so inspirational and moving. We
performed on the same stage with national artist like Whoopi
Goldberg, Carol King, Annie Difranco, Mobi, Wanda Sykes Hall, Alix
Olsen, Julian Bond, Carol Mosley Braun, Gloria Steinem, and The infamous group
Peter, Paul, and Mary asked us to come back and do a piece with them the same
day. And after bonding with one million
other activist – it made you want to do a remix of We Are The World revolutionary
style. Whether you
were there in physical or in the spiritual. This march, the largest in history, truly had
the energy of world. 1.15 million People
pledged to commit themselves in fighting for all
oppressed people and million’s more pledged from home.
I
am overwhelmed by all of the opportunities that have arisen from participation
with the march and I am very excited about working for all oppressed people and
for NOW in the coming months. Anybody
that knows me also knows that I don’t believe in “the system,” but I do believe
in making sure we protect our freedoms and making sure that “the land does get
stolen from under our feet on the battle ground.” Did I say that right? Anyway yall know
what I mean! I’m ready to fight for this
next presidential election – and beat Bush like he stole something – because he did! If anybody is interested in organizing
something together with me – that can combine the arts let me know. I will be posting up pictures from the march
on my website soon so be sure to keep posted!
Home Sistah Cypher Biography
Schedule $1000 Poetry
Slam News and Events
Links Photos
Samples Store Keep
Posted! Contact
Bookings
and Offers
Video
Footage! Bull City
Slam Team Blackout Arts Collective Live Journal Resume Press Kit