Def Poetry Response

I think that the most effective Def poetry video I watched was Julian Curry's "Niggers Niggas & Niggaz." I felt as if the topic was extremely relatable today, especially because he was calling people out on a socially controversial topic. He was pulling them out of a state of complacency. He was calling them out on something that has gotten out of hand and needs to be stopped out of self-respect. The way he used his hand motions to portray the scenes he was talking about, such as the 3:00 train where the word "nigger" is heard often, helped you envision the scene. He throws his hands around, which is a powerful outward display of emotion. His voice sounds determined and yet also frustrated, which compels people to listen to him. He also brings the poem around from putting everyone down who says "nigger" to asking for a response. He asks that they work together to create a new "dream song, a theme song" called "those who used to be called niggers." The poem draws on so many emotions, from surprise, to guilt, to determination and sadness, and finally to a state of action. It is a pump-up poem, a poem to raise awareness and break down barriers. He does not want people to simply leave when they hear that word. He doesn't want people to look at the ground when they hear that word. He wants them to be proud of their ancestors who for so long labored and were labeled under that degrading term, and he wants them to defeat that word once and for all. It is a moving and compelling poem, especially with his in-your-face, call-you-out type of presentation.