Toni Asante Lightfoot - ProfilesArchive

About Me

I am a poet, teacher, performer, and activist. Born and raised in Washington, DC, I started hosting poetry readings in 1993 at Soul Brothers Pizza and moved to It's Your Mug in early 1994. The poetry reading brought the likes of Saul Williams, Willie Perdomo, Miguel Algarin, The Darkroom Collective from Boston, Rhoma Spencer of Trinidad & Tobago and some of the best poets in DC. It's Your Mug spawned several poetry groups including the one I co-founded with several other poets - The Modern Urban Griots. Our collective performed at the Whitney Museum, University of Massachusetts-North Dartmouth, the National Theater, and individually all over the country. After leaving the DC scene as a poetry host I started a Bed & Breakfast in Trinidad & Tobago. I also concentrated on learning the craft of writing and became a Jenny McKeen Moore, Cave Canem, and Soul Mountain fellow. I have been a part of several CD projects including the voice of Ayisha Knight on her CD Until and I was also her voice when she was the only deaf poet on Def Poetry Jam. After moving to Boston in 2000, I joined the Blackout Arts Collective and through them helped to create the Lyrics on Lockdown tour of 2001 which is still sending artists around the country to educate audiences about the prison industrial complex. In 2002, I moved to Chicago to work within the literary arts. I have worked with the Guild Complex, Young Chicago Authors, ETA Theater, Family Matters, Neighborhood Writing Alliance, Chicago Park District, Chicago Children's Museum, and several schools. Enjoying life on the Westside and leaving Chicago anytime the wind blows opportunity my way. Distance alone would never keep me away from performing, teaching, or coordinating poetry readings.

My Interests

Traveling, Yoruba Culture and Spirituality, African and African American History (Moms Mabley in particular), dancing

I'd like to meet:

readers, writers, thinkers, travelers, scientists (yeah, i thought i'd be an engineer at one point in my life and i still dig scientists), artists.

Music:

Prince, Daara J, Etta James, Three Dog Night, MIA, Ayisha Knight, Martin Luther, Krista Franklin, Roger BonAir Agard, Roger Robinson, Ozy Magic, Mendi Obidike, Farm Crew, Public Housing, Chakra Chants, Orisha Chants, Sam Cook, Alice and John Coltrane, Jr. Gong, Ugochi, Bryon Bain, Olu Dara, Gilberto Gil, Djavan, Fela and Femi Kuti, Salif Keita, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Sade and Sweetback, Maxwell, Erika Badu,

Movies:

Ghost Dog, Eve's Bayou, Dirty Pretty Things, Love & Basketball, Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire (duhh, i am a child of the 80's), The Exorcist, Lumumba, Sankofa, Straight No Chaser (Thelonius Monk), Nothing But A Man, Amelie, Daughters of the Dust, Star Wars (not the new crap). When We Were Kings. I mostly dig movies with intriguing takes on love, race, and class.

Television:

Monk, Battlestar Galactica, Nip Tuck, News, Image Union, just about anything will get my attention for a bit but I try to make time for Everybody Hates Chris and my number one guilty pleasure Will & Grace. I usually don't own a tv but it's been fun having this one for the past 2 years.

Books:

Everything by Earl Lovelace especially "The Dragon Can't Dance". Everything by Terry Pratchett especially "Feet of Clay". Everything by Octavia Butler especially "Mind of My Mind". Everything by Tim Seibles especially "Hurdy Gurdy". Everything by Marilyn Nelson especially "A Wreath for Emmit Till". Sam Greenlee's "The Spook Who Sat By The Door". Ana Mendez "In Cuba I Was A German Shepard". M-A-C-N-O-L-I-A (before there was Akeelah and the Bee there was Macnolia) by A. Van Jordan, Leadbelly by Tyehimba Jess, What to Eat, What to Drink, What to Leave as Poison by Camille Dungy, I love My Hair by Natasha Tarpley, Ash by Sharon Strange, There Are No Love Songs for Dictators by E. Ethelbert Miller, Maverick Room by Thomas Sayers Ellis, Sister Chicas by Jane Alberdeston Coralin, Lisa Alverez, and Ann Hagman Cardell. Too many more I'll just keep on adding as time goes by.

Heroes:

Jackie "Moms" Mabley, Harriet Tubman, Yaa Asantewa, Angela Davis, Lavinia Bell, Nat Turner, Martin Delaney, David Walker, Josephine Baker, Thich Nat Hanh, Winnie Mandela, Keziah Payne (Aunt Kitchie), Byllye Avery, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Ossie Davis, Gwendolyn Brooks.

My Blog

A Night on the Other Side of Love - Muse Cafe 2/13/07

An Exquisite Corpse This is a night for the other side of love Remembering mornings that come after nights Reminisce on all that used to be all that was Feeling melancholy at your memory. Watc...
Posted by Toni Asante Lightfoot on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:28:00 PST

February 19, 2007 at the MUSE Cafe

Exquisite Corpse What does this President's Day mean to me? How do I even approach the absurd between the hours of 4-6pm. You should undress your inhibitions with gin and cranberry juice rewind and re...
Posted by Toni Asante Lightfoot on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:06:00 PST

Buddha In Guantanamo

Buddha in Guantanamo by Toni Asante Lightfoot Your ignorance is the cause of my pain. You interrogate me because I present with Muslim n...
Posted by Toni Asante Lightfoot on Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:48:00 PST

In The Velvet Lounge

In the Velvet Lounge For Carter Jefferson And over there sits Jazz smelling of grease and smokes watchin a dreaded saxophonist play soundtracks to the horror movie of our existence in babylon. ...
Posted by Toni Asante Lightfoot on Sun, 30 Sep 2007 12:34:00 PST

Poem for Teaching Summer Camp

..> Summer dons its radiant heat like all we have to do is sweat. Like teaching poetry to teenagers should be thought by all a travesty. Today we offered recording opportunity to show them the work...
Posted by Toni Asante Lightfoot on Sat, 07 Jul 2007 06:18:00 PST

February 12, 2007 Monday Muse Mash-up

All posted Monday Muse Mash-up poems are created at Muse Cafe 817 N. Milwaukee 8-11pm Monday nights at our All Arts Open Mic. Come on out. This one was co-written by Elizabeth, Crazy Lombardo, D...
Posted by Toni Asante Lightfoot on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:17:00 PST

January 22 Muse Mashup Poem

These Muse Mash-up Poems are created line by line by the audience who comes to check out the All Arst Open Mic on Mondays In June I will be what I've always been What I've never been. Then the w...
Posted by Toni Asante Lightfoot on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 09:05:00 PST

Muse Cafe Bob Marley Mash-up Poem

Bob Marley Mash-up at the Muse One love for Buffalo Soldiers listening to Redemption and praise, redemption and praise up Ever forward in righteousness and livity Wake up and live. One love people ge...
Posted by Toni Asante Lightfoot on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 08:51:00 PST

Monday Muse Mash-up poem from January 8th

Monday Muse Mash-up: first exquisite corpse of the year What is new for this new year of The same old sound lonely makes moaning me to Several questions. All I hear anymore Walk slowly, really s...
Posted by Toni Asante Lightfoot on Fri, 12 Jan 2007 08:10:00 PST

Monday Muse Mash Up December 18th

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS RANDALL HORTON!!!!! Randall graced the Muse with the reading of poems from his book "The Definition of Place". A really great crowd showed up. Malika's Kitchen also ca...
Posted by Toni Asante Lightfoot on Tue, 19 Dec 2006 12:51:00 PST