Jassmine Parks
Spoken Word Poet & Public Speaker
blk
blk is the collective voice of Detroit's Black non-cis male artists and poets. It speaks healing for the millions of Black non-cis males who need it, for Black cis males to tap into the healing, and for those on the outside to examine the impact of silencing, erasing, and asking for trauma-driven narratives.
directed and produced by Na Forest Lim
written & performed by Jassmine Parks
co-producer Jhayla Mosley
director of photography Jeremy Brockman
art director Ilana Portney
editor Nikki Finn
series producer Donald Harrison
assistant director Miles Reuben
sound recordist Ethan M. Cohen
hair & makeup Jessica Turner
art production assistant Santana Robinson
production assistant Leandre White
color, audio mix, & sound design Mike Mulliniks
camera equipment Richie Trimble
cast
Ja’nya Whitfield
La Shaun “Phoenix” Kotaran
Danna Passmore
Phoenix Eagle
MARS Marshall
Ericka Lawson
Brittany Rogers
Nkenge Browner
special thanks
Detroit House of Music
Audra Kubat
funded by
Kresge Arts in Detroit
Jassmine’s Story
Jassmine Parks is a spoken word poet and slam champion from Detroit. Her work examines the resiliency of the Black feminine experience and intergenerational trauma, and attempts to explore, heal, and disrupt unhealthy cycles such as abuse, mass incarceration, and court ordered parent-child separation. Parks, also a dedicated educator, serves as the lead teaching artist of InsideOut Literary Arts. She believes in the power of language to reflect on past experiences, build agency, and activate healing. Her work has been published with SlamFind and All Def Poetry.