2024 Oakland Poetry Slam a Roaring Success
Proud families gathered around tables in the cheerful gymnasium shared by the International Community and Think College Now elementary schools on March 9 to cheer on their favorite poet-athletes at the America SCORES Bay Area Oakland Poetry Slam. Fifty students from Oakland public schools took to the stage to perform their poems, showing their passion, their flair with language, their love for their communities, and their calls for a brighter future.
The dynamic MC Mike Taylor, founder of SPARC Poetry and the executive director of Bay Area Creative, kept the energy flowing, bringing up 50 poets to the stage in front of a distinguished panel of judges including Mike Hutchinson, OUSD School Board Vice President; Haley Hester, Chief of Staff, Oakland City Council, District 7; Martha Pena, OUSD Coordinator, Department of Expanded Learning Programs; Trina Fields, OUSD Program Manager, Department of Expanding Learning Programs; and Almetria Vaba, KQED Director, Education Partnerships and Distribution.
Frieda Ramos-Junck, a 4th grader at Cleveland Elementary, took top honors at the slam, impressing the judges with her poem and confident performance. In 2nd place was Rohiina Faafiti, a fifth grader from La Escuelita Elementary, and in 3rd place was Joseph Brown from Emerson Elementary. Jade Walker, a 4th grader from CSE Elementary was celebrated for “best performance” and Thomas Williams Jr. from Encompass Academy, won for “best written” poem. Encompass Elementary School secured the prize for the top team performance.
To watch the winners’ performances, click on each link: Jade, Joseph, Frieda, Thomas, and Rohiina
America SCORES’ largest partner in Oakland is Oakland Unified’s Expanded Learning Program. SCORES’ year-round program, including events like the Oakland Slam, comes together through deep partnerships with the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth (OFCY), Girls Inc., Oakland Leaf, Oakland Roots and Soul, the Center for ArtEsteem, Sparc Poetry of Bay Area Creative, the East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC), and Bay Area Community Resources (BACR).
