With the Martin Luther King Spoken Word contest, we gather a community of poets, wordsmiths, and enthusiasts of these art forms every year. Together, we celebrate the power of words, both within the VU community and beyond.
This year, we received an overwhelming number of inspiring submissions, showcasing the power of spoken word. From these, the jury - consisting of Mitchell Esajas, Uchaindani Watson, Chanty Louis en Dave Ensberg-Kleijkers - presented Yasin Nurmohamed, Benjamin Koponen and Keanu Neral as finalists. They were invited to perform in front of the audience at VU Amsterdam on 9 October. Yasin Nurmohamed was chosen as the winner.
In addition to recognition and appreciation, Yasin also received the first-place prize money of 500 euros. The other two finalists each received an amount of 250 euros in recognition of their exceptional performances.
Of course, the evening was not just about winning. Spoken Word is about voices being heard, stories being told, and emotions being shared. Therefore, the jury also awarded an encouragement prize, recognizing the courage and inspiration reflected in every submission. This prize went to Aukje Lausberg. The Young Talent Award, given to someone with great potential for the future, was awarded to Isabella Smeets.
The Martin Luther King Lecture is made possible by the Martin Luther King Lecture Foundation, the VUvereniging, VSBfonds and the Diversity Office of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
