Poet, Individual
Darius Simpson is an award-winning spoken word artist, writer, proud wearer of crocs, and social justice activist born in Akron, Ohio. He received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from Eastern Michigan University. During his time there, as a coach and participant, he led the EMU slam poetry team to consecutive championships at the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI). He uses poetry as a tool with which to heal, inform, and challenge his audience in their awareness of social, political, and economic oppression.
Darius is featured as a protagonist in the film Finding the Gold Within, a documentary by Karina Epperlein on what it means to be a young black male in America. He has appeared on a wide array of stages and including ABC News (WXYZ-TV), University of Akron's Black Male Summit, TEDxDetroit, and Pacifica Graduate Institute. He has also been featured in online publications such as Huffington Post, Mic, Odyssey, and Worldstar Hip Hop. His work has been promoted by Hollywood stars such as Ashton Kutcher and Kerry Washington. Darius aims to leave his listeners feeling more equipped and inspired to speak to their own perspectives in any form they feel most drawn to. By intertwining personal narratives of life experience, humor, and historical events, he brings an invaluable and authentic voice to his poetry.
