The winners of the Power of the Griot Poetry contest are Anselm Jesusemen (elementary school), Etianna Prophete (middle school), and Tay Jones (high school).
Elementary School
Ibukun Anselm Jesusemen
Jatto Memorial Christian College
Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
11 years old
“Be it in academics or sports or any other field,
There are countless benefits a confident mind can yield”,
My Primary 4 teacher once said
“. . . and a confident mind is a product of discipline through hard work”
Aspiration is not a bad omen, as I have always aspired to be a great footballer
So, I salute my role model!
Who through discipline and hard work
Has become the Legend and Hero of sports
That is Papilo!
Oh yes! Meet my African Hero.
Papilo! Permit me to use this nick name again and again;
Papilo!
The Hero and Legend of African football; the Eagle of Nigeria
Papilo!
Papilo!
The hero and Legend of Africa; the Eagle of Nigeria, i hail you.
You soared higher with your feathers to honour your country;
To bring glory to our continent, Africa –all the way from Atlanta.
Even when you fly close to the ground, the chicks are not scared
But sing praises to your reception because you mean no harm.
Papilo!
The hero and Legend of Africa; the Eagle of Nigeria, I salute your big heart.
Long before COVID-19 explosion,
You got the revelation and built the Kanu Heart Foundation.
You were not only a visionary passer as attributed to you,
You are a revelator too . . .
Papilo!
Master of the ball;
Papilo!
Man of the match
Papilo!
International football king;
National football hero
Papilo!
You fought and defeated cardiac
As you won football matches outright
Papilo!
Foreseer of COVID-19
Master of hope;
Saver of lives.
Papilo! Papilo!! Papilo!!!
Thank you, hero of African football.
In honour of Kanu Nwankwo, founder of the Kanu Heart Foundation and former captain of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Football Club
Eastern or Ashanti Region, Ghana
Nsodie (Commemorative head)
Late 19th century
Ceramic
Gift of Walt Disney World Co., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, 2005-6-163
Middle School
Etianna Prophete
The Basilica School of Saint Mary
Washington, D.C.
Age 14
Cool and smooth the wakemia (ceremonial spoon)
slipped through my hands.
I felt the dips and creases
that made up the incredibly detailed artistry
. You can’t just be any average woman to receive such a great token of honor.
Merely providing for your household is only the beginning.
It takes being an educator,
Philanthropist,
plus a woman of generosity,
Hospitality
and benevolence
to have this bestowed upon you.
I have housed merchants,
unexpected visitors,
Musicians,
and seasonal farm workers in my house.
An accomplishment of mine
that I take the most pride in
is teaching children of our community for 20 years.
As part of the Wè community, growing up I knew very few women
that possessed this prized item.
Carved out of wood,
coated in metal,
and sealed in oil,
sculpting it took great skill.
Some people just don’t understand how a little spoon is so important.
For it is a mini monument; a trophy of my capacity to unite the community.
Nimba County, Liberia or Montagnes District, Côte d’Ivoire
Wunkermian (ceremonial spoon)
Early to mid-20th century
Wood, metal
Bequest of Samuel Rubin, 79-16-28
High School
Tay Jones
The New School of Northern Virginia.
Springfield, Virginia
Age 17
Power is my name.
Strength runs through my veins.
you give me trash and I make treasure,
you give me tin and I make gold,
you give me zirconia and I make diamonds.
you look down on me and I look directly at you
Not up,
Not down,
But in the eyes.
I use your pride and your greedy idiocy
To seduce you into destroying yourselves,
I trick you with my well-spoken words,
I control your narrative
I am true power.
I save my people from your slavery
By twisting your minds with sweet songs and mesmerizing melodies,
I blind your eyes to my people whom you pursue like animals.
But really, you are the animals,
you are the savages.
you steal and ruin.
you burn and rape.
you infect and kill.
Yet, I am below you?
No, no.
I am true power.
I am a Queen.
Anna Zingha, Queen of Matamba
19th century
Lithograph
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library
Honorable Mentions
Two honorable mentions come from elementary school students Chisunum C. Nicholas and Odupute Nduchukwu Francis.
Chisunum C. Nicholas
Mustard Seed Preparatory School
Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
Age 12
A man of unmistakable love
And with a brave move
A man with deep commitment
To the people and government
A great philanthropist
And a black nationalist
A man of great Colossus
Who helped boost the nation’s resources
A great political leader
And an eloquent teacher
An embodiment of peace
Like a dove in all his service
A controversial figure for life
And an inspiration to lives
Never delighted in bloodshed
But in the welfare of his wards
The son of the soil
Is now a shadow of himself
We pray for more leaders
Like him and great teachers
1935–2016, b. Dakar, Senegal
Worked in Dakar
Toussaint Louverture et la vielle esclave [Toussaint Louverture and the elderly enslaved woman]1989
Mixed media
Museum purchase, through exchange from Emil Eisenberg, and Mr. and Mrs. Norman Robbins, and with funds from Stuart Bohart and Barbara Portman, 2009-8-1
Odupute Nduchukwu Francis
Jatto Memorial Christian College
Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
Age 12
Who is a hero?
One who fights for the safety of others
Who is a hero?
One who is kind, loving and gives to others
A hero serves God, no matter the challenges of life
A hero resists temptation and takes a stand for what is right.
There’s a hero in my life,
Who always fights for my safety
There’s a hero in my life,
Who is kind and lofty
He fears God and takes care of me
My Daddy is my hero . . . always there for me
Maniema or Tanganyika Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Singiti (ancestral figure of a man)
Late 19th or early 20th century
Wood, plant fiber, glass beads
Gift of Walt Disney World Co., a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, 2005-6-181
