Student seeks to connect cultures through spoken word
When looking at the fluid movement of two people performing the dance of Capoeira, it is difficult to not be inspired by their beautiful movements, especially when thinking about the checkered history behond the dance’s origins. USC junior Azmera Hammouri-Davis has spearheaded a social justice movement that centers around poetry, art and dance. Her “Break the Boxes” poetry series utilizes storytelling and art in hopes of instigating social change that connects people from different cultures.
This summer, the writer will be practicing spoken word in Brazil, sparking conversation and thought about the historical oppression and racism within the region. Traveling through a USC Maymester course, Cultures of Brazil and Lusophone Africa, Hammouri-Davis will visit many cities in Brazil to learn more about Brazilian and Portuguese-speaking African cultures and history. Cities include Salvador de Bahia and Ipanema.
“I’ve been learning Portuguese since sophomore year, and in Brazil we will be learning about the history, the literature, the language, art and culture,” she said. “More specifically, I am excited about going to Salvador de Bahia which is an underrepresented poor community.” Hammouri-Davis will be collecting research for [USC’s] McNair’s program, where she will be looking at tensions between underrepresented communities and the more elite class, and how race plays into that.
Hammouri-Davis aspires to immerse herself in the culture, and learn about the Brazilians and their way of life. She will be learning about the historical consequences of racial and socioeconomic oppression prevalent in some parts of Brazil. She said she hopes to use her poetry to provide an avenue for self-expression and liberation for the marginalized population she will be interacting with.
Salvador de Bahia was a main port during the transatlantic slave trade and is home to a large population of at-risk youth. Hammouri-Davis’s spoken word series focuses on breaking out of stereotypes and breaking through obstacles. Her first spoken word video named, “Capoeira,” is centered on a Brazilian martial arts sport. Her video was recently published in the Social Justice Review.
“Slaves shipped during the transatlantic trade brought to Bahia — that’s how Capoeira was made. In the slums and favelas, where hope had nearly faded. It inspired slaves to create new escapes,” she said. “This trip is for those kids, barely living in the slums, oppression is oppression despite where you come from, and when you do what’s right, movement can never be shunned.”
“Capoeira” was inspired by personal experiences of how misleading and dangerous perceptions can be. Her goal to instigate social change is based on breaking stereotypes, and how others can break the boxes placed by society. For example, on campus, Hammouri-Davis started the Instagram account @TheeHarvest, which highlights everyday USC students that do not fit a stereotypical mold.
Her poem specifically discussed how Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art form, has become another vehicle for self-expression against oppression. Hammouri-Davis has been practicing Capoeira since childhood and has found this form of martial arts as her lifeline and grounding. Her love for the sport has inspired her desire to travel to South America to learn more about the origin and people within the Capoeira community, and to bring it back to Los Angeles.
“My poem shows my love for Capoeira, and shows why I want to go [to Brazil]. And I want to bring back what I learned in Brazil, by putting on poetry workshops or Capoeira workshops — showing the importance of study abroad. Even by just thinking about studying abroad, my mind has been opened in so many ways, and just learning about the cultures and how we are so interconnected,” Hammouri-Davis said. “And I feel that sometimes staying in one place can limit you. And with this series, I am expanding my own mind, and now I have the possibility of bringing it back to USC.”
Spoken word is a outlet for individuals to express their feelings and struggles, and Hammouri-Davis has inspired many individuals to share their stories. She has volunteered at Level Playing Field Institute, a non-profit organization based in Oakland that works with Latino and Black youth to prepare for college, where she set up poetry workshops. Her passion to inspire change in individuals and on a social level has marked her time at USC.
“I am very passionate about social justice. Since coming to ’SC and taking my first social issues class and going to Alabama for an alternative spring break program, my passion has just built. In Oakland, I did poetry workshops, and I realized how much they just lit up and became empowered by just telling their story,” Hammouri-Davis said. “I never really saw the power in telling my stories. You’re vulnerable and it’s your story, but just seeing how those students responded really empowered me to share my story. I began just to do any performance on campus, and people started reaching out to me and I was so surprised and honored.”