MUSCATINE — A church and an activist poet are teaming up Sunday to help heal a “world on fire,” decenter whiteness, and honor National Poetry Month.
Iowa City’s Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey will head to Faith United Church of Christ, a mostly white Muscatine church whose pastor has a history of elevating challenged identities. Rainey, who has published two books of poetry and a documentary, will read from one of them, 2019’s “Look, Black Boy.”
Rainey will also read new original poems based on today’s political events, before leading a workshop titled “Cultural Competency.” The afternoon workshop will use prompts, reflection and discussion to help people “understand the community around you by better understanding the identities you’re bringing to the table.”
Non-members are welcome to attend the poetry reading and workshop.
Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey (left” will read from his poetry book, “Look Black Boy” Sunday and present a workshop at Faith United Church of Christ in Muscatine led by Rev. Paris White (right)
“We’re just trying to hear the voices of a lot of different types of people and lift up people’s voices who we don’t normally hear,” says Rev. Paris White, who is also a Lutheran. “I was just really compelled by the way (Rainey) uses his voice and his gifts to lift up the Black experience.”
Rainey — who also founded a teen poetry program and hosts a quarterly spoken word event in Iowa City and Grand Rapids, Mich. — says his goal is to inspire conversation.
“We get to the point where our community is struggling when we stop talking to each other,” he said. “(This event) is encouraging the idea that we talk about the things that are hard to talk about. We look them in the eye, and we acknowledge the humanity we each and all have. That is the thing that’s going to save us.”
The program is unique in another way, Rainey says: that a church is delving into something that could be considered “DEI,” or diversity, equity and inclusion, concepts the Trump administration has vowed to fight through bans and program changes.
The political pressure has caused many churches to pull back from hosting events like his that focus on diversity, Rainey says. “It ends up kind of being this polarized or extreme swing,” says. Faith UCC’s decision to hold this event with him fits into what Rainey sees as his mission. “It’s our job as the community to correct our systems, and we do it by leaning into community and connection.”
The appearance is part of Rainey’s constantly packed schedule, which includes travels across the country. The 2024 award-winning documentary about him, “The Negro Artist,” is on tour again with select screenings and at film festivals. IC Speaks, his poetry program for teens, is preparing for a national competition in San Francisco.
House of Words is an open mic event Rainey coordinates in both Grand Rapids, Mich., and in Iowa, and he’ll host the next Iowa City show 7 p.m. May 17 at the James Theatre.This year, he’s also been the featured speaker at fundraisers, the host of open mic events, and led workshops helping improve other writers.
Sunday’s day with Rainey is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Faith United Church of Christ, 3307 Mulberry Ave., Muscatine.
Caleb Rainey photos courtesy of Caleb Rainey. Christine Hawes contributed to this report.
