On Thursday Nov. 10, poet, educator, and theologian Dr. Matthew E. Henry came to campus to share his story and recent poems from a collection he just published called “The Colored Page.” Dr. Henry’s website describes his writing as one that “shines a black-light on the bed of education, race, relationships, religion, and everything else you’re not supposed to discuss in polite company.” 

Henry made three appearances in various settings on campus, the first being in a poetry workshop class taught by David Brennan, second at lunch in the West Dining hall, and third at his writers read in Common Grounds. At each of these appearances he talked about his poetry and gave the audience tidbits of his life experiences that could be used to push us to become “better humans” according to Henry.

Beginning with his appearance in the poetry workshop, the mood was very informal. The classroom nature meant the space was naturally dominated by students. Everyone was circled around tables while Henry read some of his poems! Some of the poems that were shared in that space were,“Twelve Minutes a Slave”, “An open letter to the young man on the subway platform, looking back, hurt and disgusted” , “‘Only 300’: a student’s take on Harriet Tubman” , and “Revisionist History”. These poems were from his collection “The Colored Page” as well as another one of his works “Teaching While Black.” Henry and members of the poetry workshop class discussed the form, meaning and structure of his poetry as well as the processes of how Henry put his collection together. 

The second setting Henry appeared in was at the West Dining Hall to have lunch and discuss his work with those interested while members from EMU’s Black Student Alliance facilitated the conversation. Here was a slightly more formal space, considering there was a pretty even mix of professors and students, but the energy was relaxed and inviting nonetheless. During this meeting, Henry shared stories and lessons from his experiences being an African American educator in a predominantly white district and answered questions about his poetry as well as theology.

Henry’s last event of the day was his writers read at 7 p.m. in Common Grounds. Organized by the Language and Literature department, this event had by far the largest attendance, and held the most professionalism. Light refreshments were provided by Common Grounds and Henry’s poetry collections were on sale for anyone interested. Henry read several of his poems to an audience consisting of students, faculty members and community members. 

As he read, Henry took some time to elaborate on what some of his poems were about. It was evident that he did not shy away from addressing heavy topics and oppressive systems. His engaging personality and honest work made Dr. Matthew E. Henry a great choice for a writer’s read.