Speechless No More

Women's History Month

Immerse yourself in powerful performances from Hampton Roads’ best female artists of poetry, spoken word, music, and song. There will be light refreshments and an Artist Marketplace to explore!

Spoken Word Performers:

Christina Parker - Queen Cadeena the Quintessence

A renowned 757 Poet/Spoken Word Artist. Parker is the owner and lead publisher at Parker Ferguson Publishing LLC, where the mission is to improve literacy rates among minorities by reinspiring the pure, imaginative joy of reading handheld books.

Easter Dodds - Poetik Desire

Residing in Chesapeake, VA, this poet is a tech-savvy creative spirit who first became a part of the Hampton Roads poetry scene in 2010 reviewing poetry events as The Chesapeake Poetry Examiner and has since then continued to write, share her poetry at local and online events, and has been published in various poetry collections.

Miko Marsh - Obelia Akanke

Obelia Akanke has written and published several short stories, novellas, and novels, which are available at Write Heart Publishing. Drawing from her education and experience in social services, she often includes messages or lessons to bring awareness to a situation and to help the reader grow in compassion and understanding for othersetry collections.

Sharran Taylor - Kween Yakini

A published author, performance poet, and program presenter, Kween has presented at Zeiders American Dream Theater, the Sandler Center, and the Hampton Coliseum. She’s just published her fifth poetry book, Telling Our Blues with Black American Poetry. Her other works include Woke: A Poetic Journey, The Dream and The Lie, Ode to the Punani: Sensual Rising and Tracing Black Music to the Roots.

Imajyn Carter - Spoken Word Artist

Long before finding her own womanhood, Imajyn was guided by fem monarchs. She’s always admired and modeled herself after strong women in her family and community. While growing up, she found strength to preserve and find her own truth and artistic expression. Now she’s a confident artist, storyteller, and champion, adding to the history that cultivated her discovery.

Music Performers:

Devecia Mack - R & B/ Pop Artist 

Devecia is a Jacksonville, NC native who’s now based in Virginia Beach. She’s a soulful R&B singer/songwriter who makes waves with an old-school reimagined sound. Drawing inspiration from legends like SWV, Beyonce, Jhene Aiko, and Chris Brown, Devecia's music delves into the complexities of love and self-discovery. A proud graduate of Elizabeth City State University, Devecia is currently crafting her debut EP, "Selfish."

JoLynn Holcomb - Saxophonist 

JoLynn is a saxophonist and Russell Memorial Library manager. JoLynn has an undergraduate degree in music, but decided that food and shelter were also important, so followed up with a Master of Library and Information Science degree (MLIS).

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