What began nineteen years ago as the vision of three Black, female-identifying alumni, Natasha Scantlebury '08, Maya Shelton '08, and Sadjada Wilson '08, has grown into one of Berkeley Carroll's most beloved and enduring traditions. Founded alongside the school's very first POC Affinity Group, with Vanessa Prescott, Director of Enrollment Management and Director of Admissions for the MS/US, serving as the original faculty advisor, the event has always served a purpose larger than performance. This year, Prescott brought that founding spirit full circle, taking the stage herself to perform her own original poetry. Once again, POC Spoken Word Night transformed the Marlene Clary Performance Space into an evening of belonging, vulnerability, and community. The event also provided an opportunity to share joy and hear poetry as a form of activism.

POC Spoken Word Night continues to be a space where all members of our BC Upper School community can come together to highlight and uplift POC artists within our community. People from within our community, along with guest speakers, can showcase their talents, eat yummy food, and celebrate each other!

Amelie '26, Kira '26, and Kyla '26

POC Affinity Group Leaders

The event sold snacks and amazing t-shirts designed by Kira, screenprinted with the help of Sonaya ‘27, and Visual Arts Chair, Mauricio Cortes, and all the proceeds donated to The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people.

The night opened with a warm welcome from the POC student leaders before giving way to a series of moving performances from Berkeley Carroll faculty and students alike, each one offering a window into the diverse cultures and art forms created by people of color.

The evening's featured guest and Keynote Speaker was poet Angel Nafis, born in Chicago and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The author of BlackGirl Mansion and a Cave Canem fellow, Nafis has received some of the most prestigious honors in American poetry. Her work has appeared in Poetry Magazine, The Academy of American Poets' Poem-a-Day, and Black Futures, among many other publications. Alongside poet Morgan Parker, she is one half of The Other Black Girl Collective, an internationally touring Black Feminist poetry duo. Nafis shared original works with the audience, offering insight into the meaning and inspiration behind each piece, and even taking a moment to reflect on how warm and supportive the Berkeley Carroll community felt. It was a reminder that the space the BC community creates is just as much a part of the evening as the performances themselves.

The night also featured powerful readings and performance pieces from Keynote Speaker, Upper School English Teacher, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, and long-time performer Rafael Sanchez. Energetic and dynamic, Sanchez used every inch of the stage, even stepping into the audience to share his message before transitioning to an emotional and timely piece that left a deep impression on everyone in the room.

Nineteen years in, POC Spoken Word Night remains exactly what its founders hoped it would be: a space where the BC community can gather, listen deeply, and leave feeling immersed in the richness and power of art. Thank you to all the performers, faculty, staff, and guests who made the night possible.

View the POC Spoken Work Night Photo Gallery Here