This Is Personal: Why I Chose Slam Over Silence
When I encountered slam poetry, I realized this wasn’t just art. It was agency. It was a system of expression built for those tired of asking for permission to speak.
As someone who works at the intersection of poetry, nation-building, and creative infrastructure, I’ve seen what happens when a poet finds their voice and uses it publicly, powerfully, and purposefully. This is why I believe every poet should, at some point, become a slam poet.
1. Slam Poetry Trains You to Be Heard, Not Just Read
There’s a difference between being a good writer and being a compelling communicator.
Slam poetry trains you to close that gap. You can spend years crafting beautiful metaphors for the page but in the slam arena, you learn how to deliver that message with urgency, clarity, and impact.
Slam demands presence, not just penmanship. It teaches you how to:
• Hold a room with your truth
• Sharpen your voice under time pressure
• Speak with intention, rhythm, and clarity
In a continent where most people still don’t read poetry, performance becomes your publishing house.
2. Slam Poets Learn the Power of Public Risk
One of the hardest but most rewarding lessons slam teaches is this:
• Your truth may not win, but it must be spoken.
• Slam poetry strips away pretense. You get scored.
• You get feedback. Sometimes you get silence.
But in that process, you grow thick skin and a sharper edge. You start to trust your story. You stop hiding behind poetic abstraction. You learn that performance isn’t about showing off it’s about showing up.
In a world where artists are often told to stay in the margins, slam gives you the muscle to take the mic and mean it.
3. Slam Builds Community, Not Competition
People often mistake slam for a competitive sport. And yes, there are points. There are winners.
But the true value of slam lies in its community.
It’s one of the few poetic spaces where:
• First-timers and veterans share the same stage
• Emotional honesty is celebrated
• Marginalized voices find amplification
• Poets from different countries connect through a shared oral tradition
For me, the global slam stage is where African poets become not just local performers but cultural diplomats.
Slam turns solitary writers into public leaders.
4. Slam Prepares You for Real-World Impact
If you’re a poet who wants to contribute beyond the stage, slam is a training ground for influence.
Here’s what I’ve seen from poets who went through the slam system:
• They lead national campaigns
• They serve as youth ambassadors
• They moderate town hall forums
• They host educational shows
• They build sustainable art careers
Slam teaches you not just how to write a poem but how to present a message, connect with people, and lead change. And in Africa, where every voice counts in shaping our future, we can’t afford silent poets.
5. Slam Protects the Power of Oral Tradition
Before we wrote on paper, we spoke into firelight. Our ancestors used rhythm, metaphor, and story to teach, warn, bless, and lead. Slam poetry is not a Western import. It’s a return. A return to the oral pulse of African wisdom modernized and made global. When you slam, you’re not just performing. You’re reclaiming heritage. You’re placing your voice in the lineage of griots, praise poets, and public orators.
My Challenge to Every Poet: Try Slam Once
You don’t have to win. You don’t have to go international. But you do have to show up with your story, your courage, and your truth. Because something happens when you step on that stage. Your poem stops being just a piece of art and becomes a piece of you, offered publicly. And in that moment, you realize this is what poetry was always meant to be.
My Final Thought:
Slam Is Not a Genre. It’s a Practice.You don’t have to write “slam poems” to be a slam poet. You just have to believe in the power of your voice, delivered with purpose, in public.
To write well is one thing.
To speak well is another.
But to do both to craft a verse that moves hearts and mobilizes action is where poetry becomes power.And that is why I will always advocate:
If you are a poet in Africa or anywhere else try slam.
• Let it stretch you.
• Let it scare you.
Let it teach you that your voice, out loud, can change the room and the world.
What’s Next?
This article is part of my ongoing series Slam Strategy 365 a blueprint for transforming poetry into platform, power, and public service.
• Ready to start your slam journey?
• Want to host a slam in your community or institution?
• Need mentorship to go from page to stage with purpose?
Let’s connect.
Because this isn’t just a moment it’s a movement.