Randell Adjei named as Ontario’s first Poet Laureate

BY PAUL JUNOR

Scarborough-born Randell Adjei is a success story.

He has defied the odds and overcame many barriers as described in first anthology “ I Am Not My Struggles” released in 2018. He is well known in the Greater Toronto Area and, he wears many hats as: a spoken-word artist, writer, poet and motivational speaker.

In 2012, he founded the arts organization, R.I.S.E (Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere) Edutainment. As Executive Director, he has been able to provide a caring, supportive and positive space for young people to showcase their talents through music, dance and poetry in order to tap their unlimited potential and gifts.

I was privileged to attend many of the events he has hosted and was always mesmerized by the authenticity, vulnerability and positivity that came from all the performers.

Randell is a member of the League of Canadian Poets and his talents and gifts have been widely recognized. He was the Best Spoken Word Artist at the 2015 Black Canadian Awards and he received the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Arts for Youth Award in 2018. In addition, he was named as Local Hero by NOW magazine in May 2017.

The parliamentary Poet Laureate was established in 2001 as a result of the Parliament of Canada Act, The Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons through an open nomination process. Global News reported that Ontario Poet Laureate was created in honour of Gord Downie, who was frontman for the Tragically Hip and died in 2017. Members of the Legislature chose Randell from a list of candidates unanimously.

According to www.liwi68.com during his two-year tenure, the poet laureate will:

• Write poetry, especially for use in Parliament on important occasions
• Sponsor poetry readings
• Advise the Parliamentary librarian regarding the Library’s collection and acquisitions to enrich its cultural materials
• Perform other related duties at the request of the Speaker of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Commons, or the Parliamentary librarian

“I’m someone who speaks from a place of authenticity,” Randell told Global News Something I believe in is that vulnerability is something that is seen as a weakness in our society. I think it’s the complete opposite. To bare your soul, to be authentic with other folks and share your truth with other people, it takes courage, it takes a lot of bravery to do so and I think I’m really just looking to inspire to really show others that you can do this, you can really make this happen.”

In an interview with CBC’s Dwight Drummond, he describes how his life was transformed by a teacher who believed in him and gave him a pen to express himself after getting in trouble with the police. He stated, “What you go through in life does not define you, but it can design you and prepare you for what is to come.” He believes, ”Our purpose in life is not about perfection. Rather it is about progression.”