FLOOD THE HOOD WITH DREAMS

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POET BIOS

Muhibb Dyer

”My poetry tells the stories of all my friends who never got a chance to get off the block,” says Muhibb Dyer as he walks through an abandoned section of Milwaukee known as Lil’ Beirut. “If I am able to save just one life or keep one young person from going to jail, I’ve done my job as an artist.” But there was a time when this urban griot preferred to wreck mic devices as a MC.

”I used to rap, but I felt that the genre got away from the consciousness that I grew up with. Poetry allowed me to find that voice,” says Muhibb who spent his early years rocking the same stages that were once graced by fellow Milwaukee natives Arrested Development and R&B great Eric Benet. “It wasn’t until I became a poet that I truly felt free as lyricist.” While his friends begged him to keep at it, Muhibb hasn’t spit a bar in nearly a decade. The move has paid of in more ways than one.

With a unique ability to pull at the heartstrings of his audiences, Muhibb uses his newfound freedom to craft some of the most emotionally charged works in spoken word. One of the best-known poets in the country, Muhibb has performed all over the US and in 2002 was a finalist at The National Slam Contest (the nation’s top spoken word competition).

But for Muhibb the ultimate satisfaction as an artist comes when he is able to tug at the hearts of young hustlas on Milwaukee’s streets corners. "Hey you're that guy who was yelling at all those rich people on TV--I wish I could do that," shouts a grinning neighborhood boy who saw a performance by The Poet's on a local cable channel. Muhibb just laughs and says, "Little Brother, you can do whatever you put your mind to."

Notables

• The Children Are Crying Calendar • Local Finals Def Poetry Jam • MATC Dinner With Geronimo Pratt • National Poetry Slam Top Ten • The Great Chicago Fire-Malik Yusef • Congressional Black Caucus • Democractic Gain (2004) • BET's Cousin Jeff Chronicles • Inspirator vs.Innovator

Kwabena A. Nixon

“I’m the representation of 400 years of little Black and Brown boys who were told that they would never amount to anything,” says Kwabena Antoine Nixon as he recites his crowd favorite poem “Holla” at his weekly poetry set at Milwaukee’s Taboo Night Club. As he closes the piece, he leaves the stage with 150 of his faithful followers joining him in the famous Black Art’s Movement era chant “Nation Time.”

Just another day on the job for one of the emerging leaders of the nation’s growing spoken word movement. But not too long ago this veteran wordsmith wasn’t sure he was going to survive his Westside Chicago neighborhood.

Born and raised in the Windy City, Kwabena lost his father to street violence at the age of 11. By the time he was in his late teens Antoine (as he was known then) was headed down a similar path. After years of trying to live up to his Dad’s legacy he finally had enough and 10 years ago he made the 90-mile move north to Milwaukee. Two years later he fully completed the transformation to Kwabena when a local community elder gave him the name meaning “Inspirator”.

"You can’t let the hood define who you are. You have to have vision," says Kwabena as he speaks the next day before an audience of incarcerated youth at The Milwaukee Juvenile Detention Center. After finishing a poem for the teenaged boys he picks up a pen and triumphantly says, "I survived because I had an outlet. What's your outlet going to be? Mine is poetry."

Notables

• 1 Mic 1 Voice • Word Play
• I Remember Langston • Turning Boys to Men
• Dark Pearl • 1 Luv 4ever
• It Ain’t Ova • Democractic Gain
• Congressional Black Caucus • Inspirator vs Innovator

WHAT IS THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIOLENCE?..
The Campaign Against Violence is a strategic attempt to empower Milwaukee's inner city to take a proactive stance against interpersonal violence. By agitating, educating and organizing Milwaukee's youth, the Campaign Against Violence not only aims to inspire young folks with regular marches and empowerment rallies, but also train neighborhood residents to become conflict resolution mediators.
Why is there so much Violence in Milwaukee?
To be honest, there is not just one answer to this very tough question. But, there are a couple of key issues. Over the last 3 decades Milwaukee has lost hundreds of thousands of key industrial jobs. Unfortunately, once booming plants like A.O. Smith and Allis Chalmers have closed their doors, leaving thousands of African Americans without employment. In fact, since the 70s, the unemployment rate in Milwaukee's African American community has skyrocketed from 3% to well over 20%.
As a result, Milwaukee has the highest rate of African American incarceration in the country. Yet this has not solved any of the city's problems as scores of African American households have been disrupted and thousands of African American children have grown up in broken homes. Sadly, with very little options, many of today's youth have fallen into many of the traps associated with extreme poverty.
What are the solutions?
Again, there is not just one answer, of course, more jobs, better schools and improved social services could all help. These solutions however are unlikely to pop up overnight. However, there are things that can be done now. That's why the Campaign Against Violence takes a proactive stance and actually engages neighborhood youth come up with creative and positive solutions to the problems that impact their lives.
PEER MEDIATION & CONFLICT RESOLUTION TRAINING
Before neighborhood youth can become active participants in the Campaign Against Violence they must first go through an extensive conflict resolution training. This nationally recognized training curriculum is specifically tailed to deal with the problems facing today's youth. More than just your average workshop, the Campaign Against Violence engages youth in "real talk" and encourages them to discuss aloud many of the problems that plague their inner city neighborhoods. Of course, there is no panacea, but this unique training allows youth to begin building blueprints to less violent lives.
TRAINING OUTLINE
Session I. Where am I from? During this session, workshop participants are forced to deal withthe problems of their neighborhoods by writing about their environments. Through out the session, participants will begin to think critically about both their surroundings and their behavior.
Session II. _____________ Needs to Apologize to Me. Many of today's youth carry tremendous pain with them. This session forces workshop participants to address many of the sources of their pain. Of course, it's not easy, but throughout the session, participants begin to learn that they need positive outlets to get rid of their stress.
Session III. My Story vs. The Game. During this session workshop trainers begin to engage participants with "tough talk". In this session, participants learn that despite past problems or circumstances, they are responsible for their behavior. Participants learn that they have to find positive solutions to their problems or face the negative consequences of death or imprisonment.
Session IV. You Gotta Have A Blueprint. During the 4th session, trainers will teach participants about the importance of having a blueprint In this session, participants will craft an outline and mission statement for their lives. Participants will learn to refer to their blueprint when things get rough.
DOES THE TRAINING WORK?
Over the years, this groundbreaking curriculum has been tested in juvenile detention centers, group homes and many of Milwaukee's toughest high schools. Campaign Against Violence trainers have had success with working with youth ages 10 to 18 years old and have also worked with adults. While there is no one solution to the many problems facing today's youth, the Campaign Against Violence's peer mediation and conflict resolution training has proven effective time and time again.
Session Fees:
- 1 day (1 hr. Session): $500.00
- 4 week (1 day / week; 1 1/2 hr. Sessions): $2,000
- 5 week (1 day / week; 2 hr. Sessions): $3,500
Referrals are given special price discounts. ..
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PHOTOS FROM VERBAL HUSTIN' VOLUME 1 - 12.16.06

THE PURPOSE & FOUNDING POETS

In every generation there are artists whose voices represent the struggles of the nation’s have-nots. In the 60s, legends like Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan and The Watts Prophets warned the world about African American oppression. Following 2 decades of failed political promises and socio-economic upheaval, hip-hop became the language of change as MCs like Chuck D, Rakim and KRS ONE encouraged urban minded youth to learn about the knowledge of self in the 80s and 90s. And today, as rap music becomes less reflective of the realities of ghetto life and the world becomes increasingly hostile, some of the most poignant voices of freedom are coming from the nation’s growing spoken word community.

At the forefront of this movement are The Poets: Kwabena Antoine Nixon and Muhibb Dyer. More than just artists, The Poets are fastly becoming the faces of the country’s growing youth movement. As leaders in their Milwaukee community, their powerful words have mobilized youth to voting booths, inspired detainees in juvenile lock up and rocked crowds at sold out concert halls. Their current effort, The Campaign Against Violence, seeks to curb inner city violence.

No longer local talents, their reputation as top notch performers has quickly spread outside of the rustbelt and these two powerful lyricists have shared the stage with many of hip-hop's biggest names including P. Diddy, Talib Kweli and Common.

Their message is so motivating that in 2004 Congresswoman Maxine Waters flew The Poets to Washington D.C. to perform for the Congressional Black Caucus after hearing them move the crowd at a campaign stop in Milwaukee. And with hip-hop coming to a close and the world impatiently watching urban America’s next move, The Poets are ready to become the voices of the next generation.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME POETRY...?

Flood the Hood with Dreams offers a variety of writing workshops and presentations using poetry as it's vehicle to address specific issues that face our society. DVDs, Books and CDs are available for purchase.

Experience the FLOOD THE HOOD WITH DREAMS Telling My Story CURRICULUM complete with spoken word and writing exercises. This is a two hour self-discovery writing and performance workshop that deals with getting individuals young and mature to tell their story. This curriculum is perfect for elementary through collegiate students, conferences, book clubs, study groups, group homes, correctional facilities.

I. The Truth Is
Foundational Quote: “It made me feel better sometimes to get something down on paper just like I felt it. It brought a kind of relief to be able to describe my pain.” -Nathan McCall

II. Getting Past It, Light your Candle
Foundational Quote: “When we acknowledge our errors and face up to our shortcomings, no one can use them against us”. – Iyanla Vanzant

III. Creating Your World
Foundational Quote: “We are the ones we have always been waiting for”- Kwabena Ruben Harpole

Contact Booking Agent Lelah Hunley at 414-788-1928 for Program Cost, Prices our negotiable. Additional performance, such as schools, community centers open mic venues can be further discussed.

For booking information contact Lelah Huntley @ 414.788.1928 lelahhuntleyfthwd@yahoo.com . Digital media kits are available.

UPCOMING EVENTS & SHOWS

Milwaukee's Poetry Unplugged, Coming Soon on Tuesdays
hosted by Kwabena Antoine Nixon (KAN)

Flood the Hood with Dreams in Conjunction with Campaign Against Violence presents...
My Mic, My Ministry, My Poetry (a Kwabena Antoine Nixon Production)
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED FOR REASONS BEYOND OUR CONTROL. (Call 414.788.1928 for questions, ticket information and vendor information for our next event.)

Ebony Weekend, February 15-17, 2008
University of Wisconsin, Platteville
For Info contact myspace.com/kwabenaantionenixon ;

Lyrical Sanctuary, Every 2nd Wed. @ UW, Milwaukee,
For info contact myspace.com/mcfaddendonte

The National Flood The Hood with Dreams &
Campaign Against Violence Tour
Coming Summer 2008!

Contact Mi'Le' Productions for Events & Workshop Booking, Sponsorship & Media Information at
mi_leconsulting@yahoo.com or 414.788.1928!

BOOKS, CDs, & CALENDARS
2008 Children Are Crying Calendar Deadra and Muhibb Dyer	Send us a message to purchase the 6th Annual Children Are Crying Calendar, a photographic salute and acknowledgement of the many youth affected by violence in our country.
Eye Write What Eye See Poetry Book by Kwabena Antoine Nixon January 2007	Take a walk through history to the future as you engage in poetry that starts from the foundation of our ancestral beginning and travels through to the laying of a new foundation.
The Best of Kwabena CD by Kwabena Antoine Nixon .. Coming Soon	Got to go deeper. Got to get deeper. If you're not looking for hard truth, deep realism and a push to not just be better, but help make others better; If you're not willing to think and reflect and forge ahead then this CD is not for you.
The Hate That Hate Produced Play by and featuring Muhibb Dyer & Kwabena Antoine Nixon .. .. April 2008	The Hate That Hate Produced deals with the origin of Hate in the Black community and how it is reciprocated through family, romantic and community interactions.