Meet Black Ceasar | Poet, Activist and Actor.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Black Ceasar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Black, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
In my younger years I was cursed with a terrible stutter and that was a defining moment in my life, as I had the choice to do something about what was crippling me or live in silence forever. I was in speech classes from third grade all the way through middle school, it was then I began to paint and write everyday. Finding an outlet freed me in ways I didn’t know I needed to be freed, it was a liberating feeling finally being able to communicate without ridicule from my peers. As my writing and painting skills began to grow so did my confidence, so much that I began to write poems and not just my internal thoughts, Poetry found me at a time when I was lost and my identity was based off who I was hanging around. I saw that I could create something valuable with simply my thoughts and experiences, something that nobody could take away from me. The essence of poetry is all encompassing as it allows writes to tell their truth and consumers to interpret life painted beautifully through the eyes of another. This is what has motivated me to go deeper into my craft and I’ve learned it’s how we persevere through adversity that separates winners from the losers in life. With my passion for painting as well as poetry it has given me an advantage as I now “paint pictures” with my words and I can truly say that poetry has saved me in ways I could have only dreamed. I write for those who do not have a voice or feel that they are not heard, I do this for the people.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a poet in every sense of the word and this craft at one time was a dying art but as of late there has been a resurgence. I like think I had a major part of this renaissance here in the city of Dallas, along with several other pillars in the poetry community. My presence on stage is what sets me apart from in my craft, I have a mix of emphatic emotion and unmatched wordplay. I worked my way through the ranks of open mics and poetry slams, but it became immediately apparent to me I was not a “slam poet”. Early in my career I did not feel welcome by many poetic entities because of this, but I continued to trust my pen and believed I could trailblaze my own path. I am most proud of my debut book of published poems “Lend Me Your Ears”, this project was completed during the COVID crisis of 2020, I like to call it my “quarantine book”. Like most Americans I was in a dark place being in such a solitary state, this book gave me purpose and a reason to keep living. Something people do not know about me is that I am a Film Writer and Director with several projects being circulated in the film festival markets. I hope to be an imposing figure in art and business in the coming yes, with the team I have in place I feel I can reach this goal.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am becoming more accustomed to traveling and seeing parts of the world they only talk about on TV. There is a special place in my heart for the city of Washington D.C. and the melting pot of personality the people have. One thing I know and two things for sure the “Mombo sauce” goes amazing on everything, the diversity of food, culture, business, politics and life sets this city apart from anywhere else in the world. Having the DMV area so intertwined really intrigues me and seeing how it allows people from all walks of life to live in cohesion lets me know this is a place I can could come to in my later years. Ultimately, what I love the most is is that D.C. is home to Prince Georges county, which is the wealthiest area in America for African Americans and gives me a great sense a motivation that I too could be there one day.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This journey has not been easy by any stretch of the imagination and I would not be here today without such a strong support system. I would like to dedicate this to my late Grandmother Brenda J Carson, she always pushed me to be better and to never sleep on my dreams. This is a woman whom life hit hard and she never batted an eye, for her example in strength I will be forever grateful. I was blessed to get my poetry start at Dallas Black Canvas, this place gave me a stage and listening ears when nobody else would give me the time of day. My mentors in the poetry world have been nothing short of amazing I’d like to thank Kalvin J, Wayne Henry, Rage Almighty and Preach The Poet for always pouring into my poetic spirit. Lastly, I would like to thank my cousin “Mookie” who passed away in 2017, after my cousin passed I knew I didn’t have all the time in the world. this lit a bittersweet fire under me and I have never looked back, keeping my cousin close to me everywhere I go.

Website: https://linktr.ee/BlackCeasarPoetry

Instagram: blackceasar_

Image Credits
Common Lense Photography