Brandon M. Terry ’05, president of the Black Men’s Forum, transformed into a rapper known as “Hollaman” to follow the somewhat comic duo with socially informed rap, targeting issues concerning politics and the status of African-Americans in society with his words. He touched on this theme in one of his more poignant lyrics, “Bush wants to talk about terror / Baltimore’s got 300 murders a year with no Al Qaeda.”
Though the performance was Terry’s first solo—he usually performs with Tha League—he was visibly comfortable and confident, asserting in one song, “I do what I do like I’m on TV and I’m almost famous.”
Terry summed up the importance of Friday night’s event, stating, “Some people tend to run away from problems they think are too large, like homelessness, and retreat into their own lives. I think that we can enjoy our lives at the same time we help others and last night is more proof of that.”
After Terry’s performance, an unassuming young male by the name of Michael A. Gould-Wartofsky ’07 took the stage to deliver what he referred to as a “narrative poem [that] tells of the devastation of a homeless mother and her child, a living poetry that’s allowed to die on the steps of a church in the cold of winter.”
He added, “It’s easy for privileged people to ignore realities like this, even when they’re right in front of you. But art is mightier than apathy.”
Like the other artists, Gould-Wartofsky focused his readings on the topic of homelessness “just like you might write a love poem and get a girl to think of you in a deeper way. You can write a poem about, say, homelessness, and get people to think about that in a deeper way.”
Taking center stage after Wartofsky was the only female Harvard student to perform at the HOP benefit, the glamorous Leyla R. Bravo ’05, who later said, “many times my own family was nearly forced out of our rented apartments and we had to really fight to stay.” In a different twist on the idea of “homelessness,” Bravo explored the feelings of disenfranchisement that immigrants like herself experience. A true poet at heart, Bravo commented, “If one person found solace with my words, that’s already changing the world.”
The final two performers were the published poet known only by the title, “Melissa,” and the newly signed local rapper Sean Dwyer. Melissa gave her thoughtful prose dramatic vivification with hand movements and body language depicting the stories within her stories. Dwyer finished off the night with an energetic delivery of original songs, and offered CDs to the many eager students and poetry buffs in attendance.
Ultimately the event was a success, for in addition to the remarkable display of talent featured at Friday night’s venue, the benefit raised over $300 for HOP. The sum total for this year is less than last semester’s $500 because the ticket price was reduced to $3 from last semester’s $5. Chou, who reassured that “all proceeds go toward the loan fund,” was extremely pleased with Friday night’s outcome, for in the words of performer MC Mikal, “a benefit show is meant to uplift, and HOP is working hard to do that.”
Those interested in learning more about HOP can access their website at http://hcs.harvard.edu/~hop.
After all, as Bravo points out, “Words are only words. Action proves that something really affected you and that you really want to do something about it.”