Cheryl Esposito welcomes Shailja Patel, an award-winning Kenyan poet, artist & political activist. Growing up in Kenya Shailja experienced the impact of war on the lives and spirit of the people. Her path took her on a journey from working on Wall Street to living a monastic life, running non-profits, eventually finding her voice in poetry. Today she is a performance artist bringing her work to people around the world. Her one-woman show, Migritude, unfolds hidden histories of women’s lives in the bootprint of Empire, from India to East Africa. Shailja’s powerful performances bring her audiences to an introspective space of connection with the raw emotion and impact of war and oppression. The irresistible passion and eloquence of her words touches people at a core level and inspires them to take action. Shailja recently performed at Bioneers and said, “The fifteen-second pindrop silence after I finished my performance was worth three standing ovations.” Words shape us. They inspire. Join the conversation.
