Carlos Andrés Gómez Performs at LCCC

Colleen Schlieman | Writer

Carlos Andrés Gómez (left) posing with Misael Morales (right)

Kicking off Lehigh Carbon Community College’s (LCCC) Hispanic Heritage Month, Carlos Andrés Gómez performed in the Community Services Center on September 20.

According to Gómez’s website, he is an award-winning Colombian-American speaker, actor, and poet. In addition to winning the Sandy Crimmins National Prize for poetry, he starred in Spike Lee’s “Inside Man” with Denzel Washington. Gómez is also the Equity and inclusion strategist for New York City. He has written several books including “Fracture” and “Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood.” (Both books are available at the Rothrock Library.)

Gomez said that he hopes college students “leave feeling empowered and seen” and “reminded that they are enough” after his performances.

The student government co-sponsored this event with the JEDI (Justice Equality Diversity and Inclusion) Center. Natalie DeRosa, LCCC’s Director of Student Engagement and Inclusion, planned the event. DeRosa said the reception from students and faculty was overwhelmingly positive.

The JEDI Center supports open dialogue and conversations that can uplift others. The JEDI Center is also where many identity-based groups meet.

“Identity is important to them,” said DeRosa.

Identity is something that Gomez spoke of in his performance.

Gómez’s presentation included spoken word poetry, as well as interactive questions with the audience. He wrapped up the event by selling his books and personally meeting anyone from the audience who obliged.

Gomez’s performance resonated with many students, including Leana Garcia, a general studies major, who described his performance as “great” and “fantastic”.

The success of this event was not measured by the number of students and faculty that attended the event, but by how many people felt inspired by the event, which is “hard to quantify,” DeRosa claims.

Gomez agrees. He argues that the success of the event could be quantified through the student’s “connection” and “vulnerability” that they have shared through the event.

Gomez’s words connected with many students who attended. Many left with new lessons to take with them, as well as a performance that encouraged vulnerability and openness with their identity and character.