Inspired by Slam Poetry, Myanmar Poet Than Toe Aung Writes Against Injustice

Listen to Shaina Shealy's story about poet Than Toe Aung at Public Radio International. One fateful night, unable to sleep, surfing Facebook, Aung "clicked on a video featuring a slam poetry performance by Boston-based poet Porsha Olayiwola performing her poem 'Angry Black Woman.' He wanted more. So he went to YouTube, typed 'poetry slam,' and scrolled through videos. 'I think I spent hours,' he said." From there: 

Alone in his room at his parents’ house, Than Toe Aung began watching video after video of poetry performances about race in America, including "Black Privilege," by Crystal Valentine.   

Poetry has a rich history in Myanmar’s political transformation. Eleven poets in Myanmar’s parliament were also activists and former political prisoners. But Than Toe Aung hadn’t heard poetry spoken with that kind of rhythm and power — a form of poetry defined by struggle and social justice and deeply rooted in the American civil rights and Black Lives Matter movements. 

“It just really moved me,” he says. “Tears welled up in my eyes. And I just thought ... we should do something like that.”

Than Toe Aung connected with Olayiwola and Valentine’s messages about racial injustice and wanted to make poems like the ones he’d heard on YouTube.

Like many in Myanmar who grew up under military rule, Than Toe Aung expected life to improve under its newly elected democratic government. Between 2011 and 2015, Myanmar went through a series of political reforms that offered hope for a more democratic and inclusive society. But Than Toe Aung says it’s getting worse for Myanmar’s ethnic and religious minorities, especially for Muslims.

Read and listen to the story at Public Radio International.