The 7th Street Underground filled up with students hearing poetry from the spoken word group SpeakEasy on Wednesday.

Blake Morris, a junior theater arts major and a member of SpeakEasy, said that the main mission of the event was education.

“Of course we want to entertain. Education for the younger generation is the topic,” Morris said. “We wanted to make sure we remain centered around that topic.”

Morris said that the night was meant to be a celebration.

“We are celebrating the will to reach out to others,” Morris said.

The poetry that was performed was a mix of tributes and original material that focused on diverse topics.

The topics ranged from detailed images of love, expressions of anger and oppression.

The poets performed pieces that spoke to the modern African-American struggle and the controversies of urban culture. Performers brought up topics like environmental impacts in urban communities and the social implications of negative role models.

Accounts from the perspectives of African-American young people witnessing, struggling, and living within African-American society and culture, gave the audience some things to think about.

Special guest Amira Davis, a professor of African-American studies, performed her own original piece that spoke to sensitive, vulnerable and frustrated testaments to the strength in the African-American culture.

Comparisons between past oppression and modern devaluation of African-Americans was mixed in among popular culture references and historical commentaries.

Janae Bonner, a senior biological studies major, said that she did not have too many expectations of the event.

“(I’m expecting) just some amazing poetry,” Bonner said. “I’m pretty much an open book.”

Folashade Samuel, a senior psychology major, said she looked forward to seeing what SpeakEasy had to say.

Samuel said she thought it would be interesting to hear African American history through the point-of-view of poetry.

Eric Baker, a senior communications studies major, said he thought the event would be inspirational.

“It’s really going to speak to people’s hearts,” Baker said.

Bri Willis, a junior family and consumer sciences major, said “Culture is the New Crack” would challenge people, and the event would be something different for campus.

“I just really hope people leave with a new look at culture and get a news sense of where we are now (as a people),” Willis said.

Temetria Harris, a freshman psychology major, said the evening was eye-opening.

“Everything that they said I knew so it just opened my eyes even more,” Harris said.

Eric Echols, a freshman political science major, said the evening was a good experience.

“I was very intrigued by the depth,” Echols said. “Tonight inspired me to search deeper within my culture.”

Elexis Wilson, a graduate student, said that the night was very informative and that the night will be “life changing for some people.”

Chris Harris, a junior English and psychology major and a member of SpeakEasy, said the people that did not attend missed out on some great information.

“They missed an opportunity,” Harris said.

Felicia Darnell can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].