an unforgettable celebration of the 25th anniversary of The Excelano Project

Warren, Joy, & I could never have imagined this as freshman: The Excelano Project’s 25th anniversary. A quarter century.

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The shows this weekend put on by the current Excelano Project poets was astounding:

the urgency, the purpose, the courage, the generosity, the abandon of each poet’s commitment on stage, just…wow.

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I will forever cherish this growing family of fierce, brilliant, and beautiful artists.

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And I will never forget the landmark celebration we shared this past weekend in Philly. I am so grateful for the leadership of Lex, Alison, and Rheem during this wild time on a college campus, and the initiative and deep love of recent alums, Deborah and Jack, and so many others, who helped properly mark the anniversary in this way. And, of course, all the alums who flew in from across the country.

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We honored our brother Ibraheem Basir (with a beautiful tribute from our Excelano hermano Ibrahim Jaaber). We shared poems and stories and nostalgia and joy and dreams for what is to come.

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And, as if that wasn’t emotional (and overwhelming in all the best ways) enough — I got to keynote Festival Latinx last Thursday and be in the room with so many people who have made me possible. It’s rare I look around a room and make eye contact with someone, like Valerie De Cruz, and I’m immediately transported to my 19 year-old self (sitting on a couch in the GIC).

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So much love, admiration, and gratitude to everyone at Casa Latina, especially Dr. Krista L. Cortes (the Director) and Elsie Lopez (the Program Coordinator), the GIC, especially Valerie De Cruz (the Director), and the Office of Social Equity & Community at University of Pennsylvania, especially Scott Filkin (the Director), and everyone else who made my visit possible.

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I’m still electric with the inspiration, nostalgia, and deep love, connection, and generosity of these past few days.