Exclusive Interview With Black Poetry Theatre Founder Dasan Ahanu

Poet, musician, and teaching artist Dasan Ahanu took the time to answer Ink & Oak’s questions via email. He is a talented spoken word poet and integral to the local Durham poetry community. Let’s get into the influences behind his inspiring work and the vision he has for continuing that work in 2026.

Biography

Dasan Ahanu is deeply committed to the arts. In addition to his five poetry collections, he is a visiting professor at UNC Chapel Hill, the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at the North Carolina Poetry Society, and has served as Piedmont Laureate. He was also recently named a 2026-2028 Southern US Fellow by the International Society for the Performing Arts. You can check him out at his upcoming reading at McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro on March 22nd at 2 p.m. 

Follow Dasan Online

• Website: https://www.dasanahanu.com

• Instagram: http://instagram.com/dasanahanu (@dasanahanu)

• X: https://x.com/dasanahanu

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dasanahanu

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/dasanahanu

Interview

In your most recent poetry collection, Concrete Jungle Allegories, you grapple with the power of story and its role in resistance. There’s resistance in the act of using your voice. How did you find your voice? How are you helping young and emerging writers in the BIPOC community find and amplify their own voices?

In our society, we are conditioned to argue perspective, theory, and ideology. It is common for people to play “devil’s advocate” in conversation. We get into philosophical debates all the time. What is difficult to do is argue and dismiss someone’s lived experience. That is the power of story. It makes things tangible. It brings it to the ground. When you can talk about the impact of things on someone’s real life it changes the stakes. If someone is still dismissive, then you are clear on what you are dealing with. Otherwise, the story creates space for a different conversation. It cuts through the noise and the propaganda. That is an act of resistance.  So, I work to model that resistance and teach others how to put that to use in their own work. If we don’t tell our stories, someone else will. 

You served as the 15th Piedmont Laureate in 2023. What projects did you undertake in this role?

During my time as Piedmont Laureate, I coordinated and facilitated writing and performance workshops. I curated a panel series called Pen II Page Shop Talks where poets (at different stages of their career) talked about what it means to be a professional artist. I hosted poetry readings in person and virtually featuring area poets. I also curated a poetry slam exhibition featuring slam teams from across North Carolina. What I am most proud of is the High School Spoken Word competition that is supported by United Arts and the Raleigh Fine Arts Society. That program is now in its third year and allows for poets from across Wake, Durham, and Orange counties to submit original works.

One quote on your website stands out to me: “There’s a creative artistry woven into the fabric of North Carolina.” There’s a connection to home and place that impels you to create. What more can you tell us about this?

I am a Southern Black artist raised in Raleigh, NC and adopted by Durham, NC. I create and walk in a rich artistic tradition in the South and in North Carolina. That matters to me. I also know that there is a lot of talent here, and I want them to see the possibilities for their art. So, I create knowing that it is a blessing to be able to do so. I also create knowing there is a responsibility that comes with sharing what you create with the community. I am an artist because the community encouraged me, provided me with opportunities, and lifted me up. I believe I can create what I do because of what I have gained by being in community with amazing folks. I credit this place for pouring into me what I pour onto the page.

You co-founded Black Poetry Theatre with Church DaPoet. Can you tell us more about this community experience?

Church got an opportunity to work with a theatre producer to create a spoken word based piece for a festival at Manbites Dog Theatre in Durham. He invited me and some others to join him. The production was called Black Poetry. He and I enjoyed the experience so much that we decided to pursue starting a company. Black Poetry Theatre was born. I took responsibility for the scripts and he took on the technical side of things. We began crafting original productions featuring spoken word interwoven with movement, song, music, and images. It was a way for us to provide a new platform to artists, especially poets in the area who hadn’t been involved in theatre.

You are an artist of many talents. You write, you sing, you perform, and you teach. Where do you find the inspiration for your many artistic endeavors?

I don’t actually sing. I just make a joyful noise occasionally. My inspiration comes from life and people. I am a watcher. I love to learn. I love to ask questions and research. I love to be nosy and uncover things. That is where my work comes from. Even in teaching, I prioritize experiential learning. I take in what’s going on around me and I process it in my art. What you see, read, or hear is my interrogation of these things. I will always be inspired because life keeps giving me things to consider. 

You are the founder of Jambalaya Soul Slam and coach for the Bull City Slam team. What draws you to slam poetry?

I had a friend named Terry Creech who encouraged me to try poetry slam. He was really into it. I tried a couple of independent slams and thought it was fun. I started Jambalaya in Raleigh to introduce the format to folks there. After being on slam teams going to regional and national competition in Asheville and Winston Salem, Terry started Slam Charlotte in Charlotte, NC. I promised him that if he started his own slam I would participate. I made their first team. It was my first experience with team competition. It was also my first time participating in the regional and national competitions. I ended up in conversation with the Director of the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham and they agreed to host the slam and sponsor a team. That started a twenty-year relationship.

You spoke with Ed Gordon of NPR about your poem, “Can I,” and your work with the Durham community on sexual assault / domestic violence prevention education. I’d love to hear more about this work and the intersection of poetry and community-based anti-violence initiatives.

I believe that art is a powerful tool for change and I strive to help folks see it as an integral part of any strategy. I got into intimate partner violence work as a facilitator helping young men develop healthy practices and establish healthy relationships. I got to work with campus groups, state organizations, and community organizers. I learned a lot and gained a network of men that I could unpack what I was learning with. I also saw the intersections with my work as a poet. I knew that many poets wrestling with or healing from these experiences shared their truths on stage. I felt that those poems and select writing exercises could be an effective part of the work. That was my first time combining community work with my art. I have been using art and culture as a tool in my work with community organizations addressing various issues since.

In your WUNC interview, you describe your process of writing poetry as one of discovery, where the work flows from the initial line leading you to an unknowable conclusion. However, you also describe growing in your craft. Has your approach changed any over time?

My approach hasn’t changed. My capacity has. My students and mentees know, I believe anything is possible if you just write your way towards it. The process will show you everything you need to know about yourself as a writer. What I have gained and what has helped me grow is the experiences that approach has led me into. Art has shown me so much. I am grateful for everything I have been a part of and all that I have witnessed. I am shaped forever by it.

You have served as a slam coach and mentor to younger poets across various roles. Who were your mentors and coaches in your artistic journey?

Terry Creech was my first poetry slam coach. Dr. Phillip Shabazz was a mentor to several young poets in the area, including me. Jaki Shelton Green has been an inspiration and someone I can talk to about navigating as a poet. Darrell Stover is another person who has been a resource as I have charted my course in poetry. I have a wonderful peer group of poets that continue to push me and motivate me. I also must credit my students and mentees for inspiring me regularly. There weren’t a lot of people I could look to here for guidance when I started. On one occasion, I was told that I had to apprentice myself. I sought out arts experiences that could help give me a sense of how things operated and then dreamed up what I felt like I could make this into.

You have an impressive resume and record of community engagement, teaching, coaching, and performing. What are your projects in those areas for 2026?

I have a stageplay called Saints & Aint’s that I am working with. I created it as a resident artist with NC State Live last year. I am promoting my most recent spoken word album, (STAW) + (REE) + (TEL) + (UH), Vol. 3. I have a new chapbook of poetry I am searching for a home for. I am working on some short fiction. The Jambalaya Soul Slam (and writing workshop) is continuing monthly. I will be looking to partner to present new cultural experiences to the community. We are doing a series of stage readings with Black Poetry Theatre as we explore new scripts. I am blessed to live my life around art and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

The Bottom Line

Thanks again to Dasan Ahanu for taking the time to answer our questions. If his work inspires you to write your next masterpiece, submit it to Ink & Oak for a chance to be published in out next issue.