The Ebony Readers/Onyx Theatre offers a creative platform for UNC students who identify with minority groups to express themselves through spoken word, poetry and theatrical drama — and EROT members are looking forward to giving new students a voice this semester.
As a subgroup of UNC’s Black Student Movement, EROT promotes the use of various creative outlets to help students release stress and build a community of support and mutual respect.
Mike Roberrson, a senior global studies major and president of EROT, hopes to welcome new members to the organization in September. She said she wants to expose students to new experiences with spoken word and poetry that they haven’t encountered before.
Roberson said EROT provides a platform of empathy for students through multiple shows, open mics and writing workshops held throughout the school year.
“EROT is special because we provide a sense of very raw and straightforward expression,” Roberson said. “Spoken word is very direct and straight to the point. It's not what most people think of poetry to be, like Robert Frost and Shakespeare, where you're trying to dissect through a lot of words. It's just straight to the point, and it hits you in the moment and even later on.”
Roberson said one of her favorite shows she has performed in was themed around Kanye West’s album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. She said many audience members were emotionally moved by the pieces EROT performed, which she said is what the organization is all about.
She said the family atmosphere EROT provides for its members fosters personal growth and close bonds with other members, which allowed her to develop as a writer and a person.
"As students going through classes and such, we have freedom in what we write about with certain assignments and activities that we do, but it's always to someone else's standard,” Roberson said. “But whenever you're writing poetry, it's for you."
Brittney Fuller, a junior human development and family studies major, joined EROT her sophomore year. She said performing her own work has a therapeutic quality, and she is glad she found EROT after being unable to connect with a group on campus during her first year.
