The arts and culture scene in Roanoke is deeply rooted, alive, thriving and growing. As more and more people feel freer to flex their creative muscles, those same people are looking for like-minded individuals to share their creativity with. A strong branch of Roanoke’s cultural tree is poetry and spoken word. People seek groups offering opportunities for connection and expression, and that welcome individuals from all backgrounds to share their voices and experiences.
Enter Jay Small, creator of Poems and Coffee, who wanted to establish a poetry space and community where People of Color felt at home, where they didn’t have to censor themselves.
Originally from Detroit, Jay Small was raised in a family that was heavily involved in social work and community engagement. Both parents were social workers and his siblings are involved in social work as well. Jay says that his father believes that, “we heal communities by bringing people together” and because of this he has a strong desire to have a positive impact on the community that he is a part of.
Poems and Coffee is, according to Jay, “a haven for Black poets to unleash their creativity and elevate through the power of poetry.” The Poems and Coffee events began as a donation-based fundraising avenue for Building Bridges over Barriers, the non-profit organization also created by Jay, which is a mentoring program for underserved youth in the community. Jay saw the impact, desire and energy that the community showed for the events and he knew they had to continue. He believes that Poems and Coffee is the “adult version” of Building Bridges; it gives poets of color a space to cultivate and grow their skills in a welcoming environment.
Jay doesn’t see himself as an artist but more so a creator of events and of spaces. His inspiration additionally came from his love of music and lyricism. “People truly don’t know about the poetry scene in the area and how people of color are involved unless you are a part of it and I want to change that,” he explains.
Recently PBS had a segment spotlighting Poems and Coffee, and Jay definitely sees the events evolving and growing, “maybe even making it to Netflix,” he says with a smile. “It is about creating a community bigger than Roanoke and maybe even bigger than the state of Virginia. Sometimes it’s about the community that the art builds, like a community of healing. The more content that is put out, the bigger it will grow. People will look back and say, ‘Do you remember when…?’”
Information about Poems and Coffee and its events can be found on their Instagram page, Poems.Coffee.VA and more information about Building Bridges over Barriers and its programs can be found on Instagram at the_b3Movement and Facebook at Building Bridges.
Jay urges individuals to continue to support the events held by B3 and Poems & Coffee, as with most non-profits, donations and sponsorships are always welcome and needed. “Also, don’t be reluctant to support something new or unfamiliar,” he adds, “the movement is organic, come be a part of it.”
