PURPOSE - Titilayo Akanke: July 2015

The Women of the World (WOW) Concert at the Apollo Theater in New York was the culminating event of four days of activities presented by the Apollo Theater and London's Southbank Centre focusing on women's issues and empowerment. In a series of workshops, seminars, panel discussions, film screenings, mentoring and other sessions; politics, science, sex, war, power and activism were among the topics examined by women of diverse backgrounds. In the program booklet, Apollo Theater Executive Producer Mikki Shepard describes the WOW festival as "a multidisciplinary celebration of groundbreaking socially-conscious female artists, activists, and thought leaders reflecting the diversity and dynamism of Harlem, New York City and the world." Shepard says further that the festivals goals are to "celebrate the formidable power of women and girls; to effect change; remind us of our history; draw attention to injustice," and for women to enjoy and appreciate being in each presence.

The WOW festival began in 2011 under the leadership of founder Jude Kelly who established WOW at London's Southbank Centre. To date, WOW festivals are held internationally in fifteen cities across the globe including Australia, the UK, Egypt, Somaliland, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and in New York and Baltimore in the U.S. Kelly maintains that the WOW festival is a global movement giving voice to women at a time "when female voices have become immensely powerful across the globe as a force for positive change." Through this network, women unite "so they can debate questions and make new solutions together." Women of the World seeks to explore the concerns and "celebrate the potential" of women and girls that are seemingly neglected by governments and institutions.

Photos from the WOW Concert by Titilayo Akanke

Jessica Care Moore on stage at the Apollo Theater

Spoken word artist Jessica Care Moore's Black Women Rock Orchestra provided a dynamic performance at the WOW Concert at the Apollo Theater. According to the website, www.blackwomenrock.com, the goal of the group is to showcase "the music and stories of Black women who build institutions around their craft," to pay homage to women of the past who have opened doors of opportunity, and empower young female musicians, vocalist and poets "tell their stories on their own terms."

(Right) Jessica Care Moore

Detroit native Jessica Care Moore began her writing career as a college journalist at Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan and Wayne State University (Detroit). She later became a news writer for Fox television in Detroit. Her introduction to poetry began at Detroit's Cody High School, an interest which she pursued seriously after the death of her father at whose funeral she impressed people with the reading of an original poem. She honed her craft and performed locally at various Detroit venues until she decided to move to New York in 1994. In 1995, she earned a spot on the famed, Showtime at the Apollo talent competition and held the number one spot for five consecutive weeks. Her audience continued to expand as did Moore's career.

In 1997, Moore began her own publishing company, Moore Black Press. She published her first volume of poetry (her own work) titled, The Words Don't Fit in My Mouth (1999). Her other works include a one-woman stage play, There Are No Asylums for the Real Crazy Women, written in the late 1990s; The Alphabet Verses the Ghetto (2001); and The Poetry of Emcees: A Comprehensive Anthology of Hip Hop Generation Writers Known to Rock the Pen. Moore appeared in the film, Slam, performed at the U.S. Comedy Festival as part of producer Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam, as has worked with a host of artist including Nas, Roy Ayers, KRS-One, Gill Scott Heron, and Patrice Rushen, Ossie Davis, CeCe Winans, Gregory Hines, and Amiri Baraka.