Storytelling Arts of Indiana will honor Black History Month by hosting two of the most respected artists in the poetry/spoken-word genre to Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center on Saturday, Feb. 11.
Al Mills and Nnamdi Chukwuocha – twins – will present From Lips, to Ears, to Action as both a stage show and livestream event at 7 p.m.
For nearly three decades, the Delaware residents have been warriors on the front line of their community. The twin artists and authors founded a tutoring and mentoring program called GOALS – Getting Organized Always Leads to Success, as well as Art for Life Delaware, a youth and community development organization rooted in the arts.
In 2015, the governor recognized their tireless work, naming them the 17th poets laureate of Delaware, the first African-Americans to hold the title in the state and the first twins, siblings, and spoken-word artists in the nation. Chukwuocha is also a member of the Delaware House of Representatives.
Inspired at an early age to express themselves, Mills and Nnamdi have performed everywhere from a grand opera house, preschools, Ivy League colleges and prisons – demonstrating how words can heal and support people, especially former offenders and veterans (both are themselves veterans). The twin artists also take this message into communities of need to help address the problem of gun violence.
The Twin Poets are the subject of the award-winning Hearts and Minds Films documentary, Why I Write, which chronicles their artistic and social work to save children and empower communities. They’ve co-written a book of poetry and most recently, a children’s book titled Homework for Breakfast.
Tickets are $20 for both in-person and online, or $35 for a family to watch via Zoom, available at Storytellingarts.org.
PHOTO ABOVE: Twin spoken-word artists and community activists Al Mills and Nnamdi Chukwuocha.
