A new type of leadership is needed
to face the complex problems of today

The spoken word performance aims to understand the ways in which racialized people navigate the world by focusing on one of the most central parts of our identity. This piece centers around our names. We discuss what our names mean to us, the microaggressions we face and the ways in which we carry the names of those who are killed before their time because of actions taken as a result of institutional racism.  

Timiro Mohamed is a local spoken word poet and university student. Her work is centered around her experiences as a second generation Somali-Canadian. She is the co-author of the chapbook Water and a national spoken word semi-finalist having competed at the Canadian Festival of Spoken word with the 2016 Edmonton Slam Poetry team.

Amina Mohamed is a grade 12 student, writer, and poet. She is passionate about exploring the concept of home as a second generation Somali-Canadian woman. Amina has curated many poetry workshops and loves making space for others to express themselves through art.  

Aaima Azhar is a university student, and aspiring spoken word poet, who has used poetry as uncensored expression and therapeutic release ever since she was seven - she enjoys writing from the perspective of others, putting words to the feelings that often go unspoken.