First Poetry Slam Team Seeks Funding for National Competition
For Sharonda “Eccentrich” Richardson, having Pompano Beach represented at The Southern Fried Poetry Slam is a mission she is passionate about. Eccentrich, who is ranked as the #14 poet in the world, has been a long-time member of the Delray Beach poetry team, DaDa. But this June, she hopes to compete in San Antonio with her recently formed Exit 36 team, which also includes Richard “Byrd” Wilson, Michael McCain, Jonathon “Jonkel” Kelly and Terese “Chunky” Hill. To assist with travel expenses and lodging, the team has started a GoFundMe account.
“I have been working towards Pompano Beach having their own poetry team for quite some time now,” said Eccentrich. “Exit 36 is truly an awe-inspiring group of spoken word artists. Together, I know we will make an impact at this prestigious event. But without backing, we cannot afford to go.”
The Southern Fried Poetry Slam takes place in San Antonio, Tex., June 12 -17, 2018, the largest adult regional poetry slam in the nation. The four-day long festival is comprised of competitions, workshops, side bouts, and the camaraderie of poets from all over the southeast and beyond.
“We’ve seen poetry change the lives of thousands of young people,” continued Eccentrich. “We’ve seen spoken word serve as a catalyst for social change and humanitarianism. It is this moment, the spark of empowerment, which fueled us to start Pompano’s first adult team to represent the city of Pompano Beach in regional, national, and internationals poetry competitions.”
The team is seeking $3,000 in donations for travel and lodging expenses. To assist visit https://www.gofundme.com/exit36.
