Juwan Blocker

4/21/2015

National Poetry Month Celebration 2015

Bio: Juwan Blocker is a Democrat, student leader, community organizer, advocate, and activist fighting to ensure that the student voice is heard!

The Interview

1. Where do draw your Inspration from to write poetry ?
I draw my inspiration from just about any and everything. I draw inspiration from my day, people, surroundings, feelings, events and the list goes on.   Poetry is important because it is a form of creative self-expression. Poetry is an outlet to let the world know who you are, what you’re all about, and what you stand for. It’s also a form of therapy and has the ability to help others. The most important tool for a poet is his/her soul. So much goes into creating a poem and a poet pours so much of their soul into their work.

2. What advice do you have for someone threatened by poetry ?
Two pieces of advice that I have for those who want to be poets is to go for and have fun! You don’t need anyone else’s approval to speak your truth. My second piece of advice is not to take your creative gift for granted. Your words have the ability to help others but it can also hurt others.

3. What is an interesting fact about you?
An interesting fact about me is that poetry has opened many doors for me. One of those doors happened to be politics. In fact I am an official candidate for The Student Member of The Board of Prince George’s County Public School’s.

4. Where are you from/ Where do you live?
I live in Landover Hills MD.

5. Who is your favorite poet?
My favorite poet is a split between Neville Adams and Clinton Smith.

A Poet in Action

Please share your reaction below.
The energy you contribute transcends your imagination.

35 Comments

Dominique

4/22/2015 01:54:34 pm

Wow, that just changed my whole look on things. I loved it! It was very inspirational.

Ife

4/22/2015 10:56:15 pm

I have seen Juwan never letting people bring him down.
he is in one of my classes and I've seen students try to do so with words but he always still makes his voice heard no matter what. That is a truly inspirational trait he haves and I know he'll really be one of the great leaders who will change America and the world in future.

Miguel

4/22/2015 11:36:15 pm

his words defiantly impacted the way I think of things. It makes you reflect on certain things that you never intended to focus on. He defiantly made sure his words were heard

Jesus Luis

4/22/2015 11:47:10 pm

This was really inspiring, it comes to show that it doesn't matter how old you are, you can do extraordinary things. This young man is doing more than a lot of older students. I'm glad that there is people like him, he shows that the youth isn't as bad as people make it out to be. There are still some of us that value things that matter.

Victor S.

4/23/2015 01:04:27 am

Juwan has a certain way to express his feeling within his words that is understandable and it's truly inspirational and is a role model for all ages and will be able to have a successful future ahead.

Christel

4/23/2015 01:17:27 am

This one simple poem is very powerful and strong. Coming from a teachers and a students point of view makes people understand the poem a lot more. It makes people realize that you do not know the struggle of people's everyday life and what they go through to beat stereotypes.

Demi Pedley

4/23/2015 02:03:48 am

This was very good. As a student this really affects me. I am just a number to the school system. Judged and pitied because I have a single mother who is always at work trying to make money to give me a better life. Things like this inspireme to do well and show the world that I am more than a number or a statistic.

Alonzo Clarke

4/23/2015 03:57:19 am

At the age to talk about such a Worldly and serious topic says a lot . Good job

Ruth Omolola

4/23/2015 02:25:56 am

Jwaun is a good person , he is an inspiration to many young many people . His poetry inspires young people to do a change . Having people in.out community moves us forward , to do betterand to also be better .

RICOREMY

4/23/2015 02:36:49 am

Juwan is a young man who will be going far in life , very inspirational poet and speaker. Remember his name Juwan Blocker

Gerardo Quintanilla

4/23/2015 02:44:44 am

he has many talents & I like what he's trying to achieve but making sure students voice is heard. Also he expresses himself in a very clear & presentable way.

Warren Watson

4/23/2015 03:11:44 am

I know that feeling of being inspired by everything around yourself. Lovely poetry by my man J Blocker.

Caitlin Goforth

4/23/2015 05:05:50 am

I feel that he is a future leader of the world and of spoken word im very proud of him and how far he has come.

Kelly Zheng

4/23/2015 05:36:07 am

It is inspiring to see Juwan become successful with his passion. Having such experience will help him in the future. This shows how doing what you love is significant in your career.

Tunji Onigbanjo

4/23/2015 08:16:24 am

Juwan is very talented. I can see him making a huge impact in his future because he is already impacting the community he is in right now. He is a very strong person and I know that he will do great things in the future.

CJ Campbell

4/23/2015 09:02:08 am

I thought this performance from Mr. Smith and Juwan was amazing. Not only was the memorization skills of them were good but everything they were saying made sense as well. It's good how he was not nervous in front of all those people too.

Natalie J. Rodriguez

4/23/2015 09:52:57 am

Juwan Blocker connected high students to a great poetry that explore the African-American experience. The Things that he refers to the practice within African American literature of bringing readers to search the status of black people. Juwan also brings out the translations of poems telling stories in a beautiful, and power way that sets a different tone in its embrace of African American history.

Yajayra Morales

4/23/2015 10:18:50 am

I believe Juwan has done a great job so far. He is succeeding at becoming a voice for students not only in poetry but also politically. This student is involved in many activities and it is very impressive.

Ashley Gbedo

4/23/2015 12:04:35 pm

Prior to seeing this, as well as the collaborative poem "Circus Act" I never saw performing poetry as a collaborative thing. I love this, and to seeing Juwan working with other people, his classmates, his teachers and idols to make a piece of art that can reach out, or relate to people no matter what their cultural background. Not only is this poetry it is information, education, and insight into a world that others may not always understand. I commend Juwan for following his dream, because not a lot of people are courageous enough to do this.

Rezwana R.

4/23/2015 12:36:47 pm

He is a very impressive young man. I feel as though he is inspiring to express their feelings w/ poetry. His words are very well used and impacts the way one thinks about him or herself. Good job!

Catherine Onumajuru

4/23/2015 01:03:52 pm

Juwan is very inspirational. His words run deep and whenever I hear his poetry, I feel it as well. I think it's great that he doesn't let the negativity of others bring him down and just follows his own path. I like that he goes beyond the ordinary of an average student and does more in terms of social and political activism, which is portrayed trough his poems.

Abdul Ismail

4/23/2015 01:14:54 pm

Although I don't know him personally I feel like he has a talent and he will accomplish big things in the future.

Alyssa D.

4/23/2015 02:14:21 pm

I think it's important that Juwan, in his interview, mentioned that words also have the ability to hurt others because that is the cold truth. However I believe that not only will Juwan do amazing things in his life, his words will help and inspire others to do great things as well. You can hear the power and emotions in his voice when he speaks which in turn can ignite a the fire in someone else. He along with other bright and promising students like Cici Felton will be the source of a powerful and positive movement in and beyond our community.

Giovani Rodriguez

4/23/2015 10:13:18 pm

juwan blocker is a very talented poet, and a friend of mines. His words are such an inspiration and its very easy to relate too. Its almost like you can hear him speak inside your mind

jenniffer robles link

4/23/2015 10:41:40 pm

Juwuan has a ceratin way to express his feelings using his own words, a this age to talk about such a wordly and serious topic says a lot.

Asia W.

4/26/2015 07:20:20 am

I believe that Juwan has a different, more unique way of expressing his opinions as a poet. I've personally heard several different spoken words from him and I believe that he helps many people understand different issues that occur today as it pertains to race and gender. The poems that he write and speak are important to understand since many people coming from other ethnicites may not understand the issues that an individual may encounter on a daily basis.

Natalia C

4/26/2015 09:59:17 pm

He is a good person , he is an inspiration to many people . His poetry inspires young people to have a change in their lives. He has different talents, he expresses himself in a very clear & presentable way.

leon crichton

4/27/2015 04:56:55 am

juwan is talented poet who has accomplished a lot. and his words are inspirational and touching. he has a bright future.

Fitsume

4/27/2015 10:22:00 am

I really enjoyed his poem with Mr. Clint Smith. It really touched my soul because it gives the perspective of two different figures in a school. The perspective of a teacher is very enlightening knowing that there are people out there that care. He talked about going out of his way to tout or children and in the process being changed by seeing students persevere dispite thier short comings. Whereas Juwan speaks of his struggles as a student and his perspective on his classmates and their everyday lives. It feels great to know students like Juan are out there to advocate and make beautiful poems, he is truest a representative of the next generation of young people.

Uchechi

4/27/2015 12:28:59 pm

The poem was very well spoken and inspirational. It goes to show that improving students' relationships with their teachers and classmates positively impacts students' academically and socially.

Jemuel S.

4/27/2015 02:07:11 pm

Juwan's performance with Mr. Smith was truly impressive. The two perspectives that were shown were eye-opening and interesting. The things that often go untold about students were shown through the eyes of a teacher and a student. Juwan's performance was complimentary of Mr/ Smith's performance which shows his skills as a poet.

Akorede O,

4/27/2015 08:55:59 pm

Juwan's voice sounded like the voice of reason which allowed it to be aspiring and Mr. Smith was amazing and the two voices side by side allowed the poem to gain strength and emotion.

Stanley C

4/27/2015 09:38:05 pm

I have witnessed first hand juwan in school, at poetry slams, and with people who have the power to change policies that are not productive for student learning. He is always upbeat and professional, and what he does is very respectable.

Sixx Lee

4/29/2015 09:42:46 am

I feel as though Juwan is and inspirational speaker with big things coming his way.

Jazmine James

4/29/2015 08:04:07 pm

As young as Juwan is, it shows that you can achieve anything you put your mind to and serve your purpose in life. His determination and commitment to making a difference is strong and increases his chances of a successful life and career.

Juwan Blocker

National Poetry Month Celebration 2015

The Interview

A Poet in Action

Please share your reaction below.
The energy you contribute transcends your imagination.

Leave a Reply.

Yvonne Brown

Archives

Juwan Blocker

National Poetry Month Celebration 2015

The Interview

A Poet in Action

Please share your reaction below.The energy you contribute transcends your imagination.

Leave a Reply.

Yvonne Brown

Archives

Please share your reaction below.
The energy you contribute transcends your imagination.