“If power is the ability to speak and be heard—then spoken word is the microphone we hand to those too often muted.”
In every company, there are voices that rise easily and voices that rise carefully—tiptoeing through meetings, testing the air before speaking. These voices often belong to the marginalized. Not because they lack ideas, or drive, or brilliance—but because they’ve been taught, subtly or explicitly, that their presence is conditional.
This is where spoken word becomes revolutionary.
Spoken word doesn’t ask for permission to speak. It doesn’t wait to be invited to the table. It builds the table with its own rhythm. And when you bring that energy into a workplace, it does something sacred—it reclaims space.
When I perform for or train teams, I don’t just deliver poetic voice to inspire the room. I use it to equip the unheard. To remind people: Your story has value. Your voice has weight. And the world needs to hear you.
That kind of empowerment isn’t theoretical. It’s transformational.
Imagine a young Black employee standing at the center of a team event, reciting a poem they wrote about breaking generational ceilings. Imagine a trans intern sharing a piece about identity and resilience that leaves the room silent, then erupting in applause. Imagine what it means for those voices—not just to be heard—but to be honored.
This is more than performance. It’s permission.
Permission to show up fully. Permission to tell the truth. Permission to lead not just with data, but with depth.
And the ripple effect? It changes cultures.
It tells your entire workforce that authenticity is currency. That lived experience is a strength. That leadership isn’t reserved for the loudest voice—it’s available to the most courageous one.
So if you want to empower your people, don’t just talk about equity. Give them the tools to speak it.
And watch what happens when spoken word turns whispers into war cries. When it takes marginalized voices—and makes them magnificent.
