On Saturday, July 26, the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) hosted Illuminating Voices, a free community poetry event that moved hearts and minds through the power of spoken word. Inspired by the Into Light exhibition, featuring original portraits and personal stories of individuals lost to the disease of drug addiction, the evening served as a powerful reminder of the humanity behind the headlines and the healing potential of art.
Held at the Garcia Center for the Arts in downtown San Bernardino in partnership with Arts Connection, the event brought together poets, musicians and community members to honor lives lost and shift the narrative around addiction. The collaboration aims to foster meaningful dialogue and educational programming that addresses the realities of substance use disorder with compassion and clarity.
The evening’s performances were deeply personal and profoundly moving. Poet Alyssa Barton shared her piece Humanizing the Struggle, declaring:
“So let’s humanize the struggle, let’s end the fight, see us for who we are—strong and full of light. Because beneath every battle, every tear we’ve cried, There’s a soul that’s worthy, who just wants to feel alive”.
The featured poet, Dr. Anthony Blacksher, delivered two transformative pieces, including “This is a love poem,” which resonated deeply with the audience:
For all I know of love in America, This is a love poem
For the shame For the silence For the crashing out and violence For the missing pills in the medicine cabinet Realizing their children are affected by this To the person who got treatment Who relapsed Who got treatment And relapsed again For an entire church full of people in mourning that it ended like this
For the first time we saw addiction For the health crisis it is Where we could cry out loud Help publicly Mourn without feelings of guilt and hopelessness
For people For communities For finding the best of ourselves In the loved ones we sketch to keep alive This is a life poem This is a light poem For all I know the meaning of love This is a love poem
The event was hosted by poet Tawon Green and produced by Donnie Harris, with coordination by Carol McDonald. The lineup featured an array of talented voices, including vocalists and poets Kiara Gomez, Sierra Sellers, Clem De Le Creme, Joseph Draper and Kyandra May. Musical accompaniment was provided by pianist Khaleb Esquivel and bassist Nathan Pence.
Illuminating Voices was more than an event. It was a call to empathy, a celebration of resilience, and a space for healing. It reminded us that behind every statistic is a story, and behind every story is a person worth remembering.
To view the event photo album, visit: https://dbhproteam.pixieset.com/illuminatingvoices2025/
