Chauncey

Hi my name is Chauncey. I use my poetry to talk about issues that are hard to talk about such as HIV and AIDS. I like to use poetry as a platform to talk about these things. I’m in a position where I have people who will listen to me and so I want to spread the message that HIV and AIDS is preventable. You can still live a healthy life with it, but you can also have a life without it. I lost someone I really care about to AIDS. And there was a lot of silence around the issue, a lot of shame. But the real shame comes from not talking about HIV and AIDS. Growing up, people didn’t really talk about sex and when they did it was placed in this conversation of not getting pregnant you better not come home with no babies was our sex talk. And as an adult, I have had to learn I’m how to take care of myself and how to have a healthy sex life. You are the author of your life, you have more control than you know. By making wise decisions, you can create any destiny you choose. My deciding moment was when I discovered how much I loved my life and that was worth protecting.

As a spoken word poet, Chauncey uses her voice and platform to speak about issues that are important to her, including sexual health and HIV/AIDS. Growing up there was a lot of silence around these issues and now as an adult, she wants people to feel empowered to be the authors of their lives.