Results of NFSPS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POETRY SLAM
BlackBerryPeach National Slam Poetry Competition October 20-22, 2022
Bethune-Cookman University joined forces with the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) to sponsor the BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Slam Championships, Thursday to Saturday, October 20-22 in Daytona Beach and Daytona Beach Shores.
Many of the top performance poets and spoken word artists from around the United States competed for over $5,000 in prize money. The poetry slam competition ran in conjunction with various side events and the Florida State Poetry Association’s annual conference, with the entire happening dubbed The BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Festival, running from October 20th through October 23rd.
The National Slam Championship began Thursday evening with four first round “prelim bouts”- two held at the Residence Inn by Marriott Daytona Beach Oceanfront and two held at the Midtown Café Daytona. Poets then mixed it up again Friday evening in a second round of prelim bouts, with all four Friday bouts held at the Michael & Libby Johnson Center for Civic Engagement on the campus of Bethune-Cookman University. The best of the best made it to Saturday night’s Final Stage, held at the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center. Our winner and new National Champion is Asma Olajuwon, who edged out runner-up Dove Dupree, third place finisher Terry Odis, and fourth place poet Javon Rustin. Joining them on the stage were finalists Wayne Henry, Zachary Kluckman, Nykole Jackson, Devery Broox, Dennis Rodney, Wesley Frazier-Keys, Ray Jimenez, and Ray McNeice. Eddie Figueroa also qualified for Finals as the Sacrificial Poet. Hosting Final Stage was none other than Orlando’s Poet Laureate, Shawn Welcome.
The festival featured various side events which were graced by many literary and performance poetry luminaries. Among them were HBO Punani Poet Bo Ellis, who featured at Thursday’s Erotic Poetry Open Mic; Ed Mabry of California, the winningest poet in the history of poetry slam, hosted our Underground Slam on Friday night; New York spoken word pioneer and legend Bob Holman keynoted at both our Youth Mini-Festival and the FSPA main address on Saturday morning and afternoon; Saturday night’s competition began with the National Haiku Slam, hosted by Riley Forest and won by Eddie Vega; and FSPA president Mary Marcelle stepped up to host the LGBTQ+/LGBTQ+ Ally Open Mic on Sunday.
I am immensely proud to have been the event organizer along with my partners Vivian Campbell and Kevin Campbell (aka NoirJente), co-founder of MainStreet Art & Culture Slam of DeLand.