Mustang Activities and Programming (MAP), in collaboration with two other clubs, will feature spoken word artist Kyla Lacey on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m. in the Ratcliffe community center.

The art of spoken word comes from the speaker’s ability not only to hit the focal points of the topic, but also to be able to hit a certain cadence. Spoken word is more than just a reading, it is a short performance engaging the audience with passion and the potential to inspire.

Nicole Wenzel, sophomore program director who is in charge of the event, explained, “This will be the first spoken word event of the semester that MAP has put together.” MAP is collaborating with Women of Resilience, Tenacity, and Humility (W.O.R.T.H) and the Male Initiative of Leadership and Excellence (MILE), two leadership groups on campus who advocate for speaking out.

Lacey has the ability to move her audience, make them laugh, and even cause them to cry, as she talks about her real life experiences and tales of triumph over tragedy.

Lacey is one of the few female voices in the world of spoken word. Her poetry is inspired by narrating her own personal stories of success from some of her lowest points in her life. Lacey has been a finalist three times in the largest regional poetry slam competition in the country. She has also been nominated twice (2013-2014) for best female artist by the Campus Activities Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards.

Kyla’s “White Privilege” performance at the 2016 National Poetry Slam discusses the continued inequality black people endure every day, acceptance in the workplace, and cultural appropriation. Another one of Lacey’s performances called “Tiger Woods” was presented at the 2015 Southern Fried Poetry Festival. She talks about interracial relationships, arguing that black men should want to date more of the strong women inside their race.

Jenna D’Onza, the Assistant Director of student activities and advisor to MAP, said that “the students really enjoyed the snippet Kyla Lacey performed at the National Association for Campus Activities conference and wanted her to perform at Stevenson.”

Lacey will perform for an hour with a possibility of performances by students after the show. Lacey has requested a small audience who will be interested and engaged rather than a large audience, D’Onza said.

MAP invites all students to come out for the free event.