Virginia graduate inspiring others with award-winning, spoken-word poetry

HOPEWELL, Va. - A recent Hopewell High School graduate is being recognized for her talent in spoken-word poetry.

Azhane Pollard gave a small sample of her poem "Generations" that won in the 2021 Poetry Ourselves competition.

"My generation is trying to undo all the institutionalized and systematic oppression; left to pick up the pieces and teach the ignorance of the lessons," Pollard reads.

Pollard told us where she got her inspiration: "Generations, it came about to me when I was writing an essay for a scholarship. And basically, it asks me ‘How has your generation influenced your future in unforeseen ways?’"

She said, "Writing started for me as a coping mechanism. I was in a dark place, and I needed to get my feelings out. And I needed to find a way to speak about those things."

And she was inspired to help others after an open mic night. Her spoken word poem then was about overcoming body image issues.

"I had a woman come up to me after and she was sobbing," said Pollard. “She was full on crying. And she was like I had never heard anyone say something like that before. And it was beautiful to hear someone say it in that manner."