Manoa Valley Theatre features spoken-word poetry

Manoa Valley Theatre will celebrate Black History Month this weekend with masters of spoken-word poetry from the mainland and Hawaii.

Headlining the third annual Black Voices Matter showcase, presented in collaboration with the arts collective Volcanic Voices, will be California-­based poet Brandon Leake, whose ­poems about his family and the Black Lives Matter movement earned him the Season 15 champion’s trophy on “America’s Got Talent” in 2020.

“This is above and beyond anything I’ve seen, anything I’ve ever heard,” said judge Howie Mandel after hearing Leake’s poem on the BLM movement.

Internationally renowned poet Marc Marcel, who performed at President Barack Obama’s 2009 Inaugural Peace Ball, also will appear, along with Volcanic Voices founder Zarqui Omar, aka “Z From Baltimore,” who now lives on Oahu. Also on the bill are local talents Anthony Hyland, known as Poetic Prophecy; poet Temple Divine, who will host; comedians Pepper Lamb and Long Lox; and hip-hop musician Astreaux Guillotine.

There will be two shows, at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. All COVID-19 guidelines will be observed. Tickets are $35-$45 and are available at ­manoavalleytheatre.com or by calling 808-988-6131.