Words Worth Speaking: Poetry Reading & Open Mic, a partnership between the MJC Library & Learning Center & the MJC Black Student Union.
CONTACT: Stella Beratlis
Angela Drew is a teacher, mother, poet, and spoken word performer who has loved the rhythm of words for as long as she can remember. Born in Berkeley, CA, she began writing at age eight and has always understood that words have the power to soothe, stir, or solidify connection. Thus, her lifelong love affair with storytelling began. Angela has performed at various venues throughout the Modesto, Sacramento and Bay Areas, including Modesto Junior College, Modesto’s inaugural “Ill List Poetry Slam” at the State Theater, the Gallo Center for the Arts, in a Sankofa Community Theater production of The Journey—The African American Experience, and at various other venues. Her recent poetry is included in COLLISION VI, the February 2020 exhibit at the Mistlin Gallery which features poet-photographer collaborations.
Brandon Leake is an award-winning spoken word poet, artistic educator, and motivational speaker from Stockton, CA. His creative blend of art, charisma, and passion tailored to his own unique personal narrative has taken him across the world as a speaker and performer. Brandon has performed in New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, and 36 states around the country for his Dark Side Tour which promotes his first published poetry chapbook and his album Deficients: A Tale From My Dark Side, a project rooted in transparency and healing. Brandon is also the founder and CEO of Called To Move – CTM, an arts organization whose mission is to aid youth in self-actualization and personal development through poetry. Through Called to Move, Brandon had led youth workshops around the world and in his hometown of Stockton.