Contestants at Windy City Black Pride’s (WCBP’s) annual poetry slam squared off July 3 at the South Loop Hotel to compete fin an event that has become a staple of Black Pride celebrations in Chicago. A few years back, WCBP sponsored the first poetry contest of any Black Pride celebration in the country and the event has gained notoriety in the years since. This year’s event, however, fielded only two contestants: Renee Williams and Osiris Khepera.
The contestants competed in three rounds and were judged on volume, speed and emotion. In the end, Khepera walked away with the $800 first-place prize and Williams won $150 in Southwest Airlines gift certificates.
Khepera—who, as the winner of the contest, will appear on the WVON’s “He Say, He Say” talk program hosted by radio personality Tommy Bennett—called his victory “really exciting” and a validation of all of his hard work. He also promised to give a portion of the prize money to a Buddhist organization of which he is a member and to use the remaining funds to jump-start a few business ventures. Williams told Windy City Times, “I put a lot of work into my writing. [LGBT Pride] means staying strong. This is something that I want to do. This is me.”