For Westminster College first-year student Stephan Gibson, joining the Speech and Debate Society was a leap into the unknown. The strategic communication and social media major from New Castle, Pa., had never competed in speech or debate before arriving on campus. His only experience with public speaking came from performing in his high school theater program and occasionally teaching at his local church.

But Gibson’s debut season was nothing short of remarkable.

At two national tournaments this year, Gibson captured first place honors in Slam Poetry, earning top recognition for his original poem, “A Defense for Black Joy.” His passionate and moving piece celebrates the vibrancy and resilience of the Black community—a deliberate shift from what he saw as the narrow narrative often expected of Black poets.

“In preparing for my events, I was a bit discouraged to see that so many Black poets were only recognized for their experiences of pain, as if that’s all that Black folks have to offer,” said Gibson, a graduate of New Castle High School. “I wanted to create something that would both validate the pain of Black trauma while lifting up our joy as an equally valid part of us.”

His performance of “A Defense for Black Joy” earned him first place in the Slam Poetry event at the Novice National Tournament at Berry College, where he also placed second in Informative Speaking with his presentation, “An Honest Portrait of Recycling.” Later in the season, Gibson again took first place in Spoken Word (Slam Poetry) at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament at Ohio University.

In addition to his national accolades, Gibson received the First-Year Award at Westminster College’s Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration (URAC) for his informative speech about recycling—a testament to his versatility as both a performer and communicator.

What makes Gibson’s success even more extraordinary is that this was his first time ever writing slam poetry. Inspired by the expressive oratory style of the Black church, Gibson found himself energized by the freedom and creativity that slam poetry allows.

“I learned how much I enjoy expressing myself in writing so freely, as well as how much fun it is to perform in front of people,” he said.

The Westminster Speech and Debate Society is an organization whose general purpose is to enhance the public speaking skills of Westminster students, as well as reaffirm the importance of the spoken word on campus, in the community, in our country and around the world.

For more information about Westminster’s Speech and Debate Society, click here or email Kandice Hartner at hartnekn@westminster.edu.

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