There's nothing quiet about poetry: Generation Verb hosts student showcase in celebration of new book

On the last Friday of June at the art gallery in the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building in Harlem, an intimate group gathering celebrated the work of some remarkable students.

- By RASHIDAH BERNAY FOWLER Special to AmNews

Generation Verb, a spoken word scholastic program that uses poetry, prose, and performance to encourage self-expression, better communication, and confidence, hosts an inaugural book release and student showcase. The 2025 book entitled "Inspire Greatness" is an anthology, featuring work by more than 30 students from three schools: the School for Classics High School, Frederick Douglass Academy II, and Transit Tech Career and Technical Education High School.

Started in 2015, Generation Verb was initially intended to be a spoken word and performance poetry program. In 2018, founder Kraal "Kayo" Charles wanted to bring his vision into public schools, "because I grew up in public schools," he said. "There were certain things that I didn't know that I was capable of doing until I started going out into the world and performing. I realized that a kid from Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, could accomplish more."

Now a seasoned poet in his own right, Charles has performed on the stages of the Def Poetry Jam and in 1998, held the title of the youngest Grand Slam Champion at the Nuyorican Poets Café.

Over the past seven years, Charles, with the support of his creative community, has partnered with 16 schools across New York City and Long Island. Generation Verb boasts reaching and teaching more than 1,000 students, from third graders to high school seniors.