As a spoken word poet and student of African American history, Nick Courmon never expected to become a TikTok influencer, but his videos about little-known moments in history, delivered in powerful rhymes, have resonated with millions of viewers—like this collaboration with Narratively, telling the story of legendary but often overlooked Black jazz musician Hazel Scott. based on our piece about her.
We are excited to have Nick teaching the upcoming Narratively Academy seminar. A pen for the people: using writing as a tool for actionIn this inspiring 90-minute writing workshop, students explore ways to reflect the times and take action with their own writing.
Nick sat down with Narratively to talk about history, spoken word poetry, and his big dreams of combining these two fields to educate and entertain.
How did you get into working as a spoken word poet?
As a child, I hated poetry. Then my grandfather died when I was in sixth grade, and my older brother recited a poem about him at the funeral. I saw how he could tell stories through the poem, and how people remembered, smiled, and laughed. When I saw that, I said to myself, “I’m going to do that.” From that day on, I started writing poetry.
What fascinated you about the story?
History has always been a big topic in my house. We have a family library – these two huge bookshelves. My father had this series called Black success story with notable African Americans throughout history, from MLK to Josephine Baker. Black people who have pursued all sorts of professions. After I stopped reading children’s books, I read the Black Achievement Series. When you’re at home, it’s important to lay that foundation so that when you’re at school, you can blame teachers for omitting history.
When I was in 3rd grade, we didn’t have any books on Black history in our classroom, so I stuffed 5 or 6 books on Black achievement into my school bag and put them in the class library. I thought, “If I have it, everyone else should have it.” I started making TikToks for the same reason.
How do you usually find your stories? What drives you to tell them?
A lot of that is something I learned in graduate school, but also a lot from my family members – things I never learned in school. I also go out and seek out information about someone who isn’t as well known. Telling those stories and making those voices heard is critical if we’re going to learn the real story and empower people through history. (Black people) have a long tradition of trailblazers. If you know where you came from, you’re not going to accept anyone’s nonsense because you know who you are and who the people are that laid the foundation for you.
I have some of your Spoken word poetry performancesthey’re great! How is writing and performing poetry for a live audience different from writing for TikTok and which do you prefer?
I would prefer a live performance any day. Being there in person and feeling the energy that the audience gives you and that you give them – it’s almost like a tennis match full of energy. Sometimes people take me aside and tell me what resonated with them, or they tell me they feel like I’m speaking on their behalf. It shows how connected we are as people in general. I think sometimes we forget that we are all just human. We must never underestimate that human element.
What do you think writers in other media can learn from spoken word artists, poets and activists?
How to write uncompromisingly and from the gut. Poetry and activism both require honesty, authenticity, and a level of genuine interaction that can only come from acting in your whole truth. I also believe that writers in other media can learn the power of perspective. Not just by defining their own, but by learning to write from an alternative perspective that requires great empathy and a broadened horizon.
Who are your poetic influences?
When I started out, Tupac was my biggest influence. The rose that grew from concrete was my first book of poems. Others are: J. Cole, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Black Thought, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Audre Lorde, Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Gwendolyn Brooks, El’Ja Bowens… I definitely have a lot of influences.
What advice do you have for young black historians?
My advice would be: just tell the story. Tell it like it is. Give trigger warnings if necessary, but don’t sugarcoat the truth. Because these people have never sugarcoated their actions or their words in the past when they committed atrocities or human rights violations. When we try to coddle people to appease ourselves, we are doing our ancestors a disservice.
And when you engage with these stories and tell these stories, be mindful of your own mental health. Please don’t just focus on the negative, because that is something you recognize yourself in, and you don’t want to just see trauma, murder, and sexual assault. That is part of the story, but that is not The Story. Don’t be afraid to tell the story, know whose story you’re telling, and be proud of the stories you tell and be intentional about them.
What are you working towards?
Originally, I wanted to be a professor. But even though I love education, I don’t like the academic institutions. You have to deal with politics and gatekeepers. Now I’m more focused on poetry and spoken word, using it as a vehicle for all sorts of things. Spoken word-based curricula. Spoken word television specials. There’s so much I want to do with poetry and spoken word. Of course, I want to use it for healing purposes. But the big picture is poetry.
What would you say to someone who wants to write about social justice issues but isn’t sure how to find the right words?
Just write. Whether it’s in a journal, a poem, bullet points, etc… The most important thing is that you write. Write down whatever raw feelings you’re feeling. Write down whatever thoughts you’re having. Write down whatever questions you have. The “right” words will come to you eventually, but I think it’s crucial to just write, and you can think about your word choice as you edit.
You can watch Nick’s TikTok about Hazel Scott-related to our story about them-Here.
Julianna Bjorksten is a narrative contributing editor.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
