Tshaka Campbell
Tshaka Campbell was one of the 100 monkeys (#37) and does poetry to help speed up the process. It was said that he spat up Ethiopia while getting drunk with Thoth and Jesus. Once he read in a tabloid that he and Crispus Attucks took the Underground Railroad to a house party in the Bronx and after two drinks, invented trap music.
Originally from London England, Tshaka was raised on his father’s teachings of solidarity and brought up on orators the likes of Garvey’s Pan-Africanism to William Churchill, as such, he adopted his father’s intense love of language. Tshaka began writing poetry long before performing it in an attempt to find his own voice and point of view within the art form.
As a performer, he is recognized as an accomplished artist internationally and performance accolades include not only being a member of the Nuyorican national poetry slam team and the Da Poetry Lounge (DPL) slam team, but also earning the Grand Champion title in San Francisco and Hollywood. He has also been honored with the UK Unsigned Artist award in poetry.
Tshaka is the first black, Santa Clara County Poet Laureate and has authored the books of poetry entitled Tarman, Muted Whispers, Stuff | Will Write More, Tunnel Vision and Blood at the Root: An Nkisi. His words have been featured in Bridges Review, BBC UK, Content Magazine, Speakeasy Vol. 1, Liminal Animals, Rigorous, among others. A city of Milpitas and city of Sunnyvale commendation in the arts award recipient, Tshaka has also collaborated on projects with the World Health Organization (WHO), the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the NUMU and Triton museums, as well sits on the Board of Directors for Silicon Valley Creates arts council and Poetry Center San Jose. He has partnered with the Silicon Valley Transit Authority and community members to deliver youth programs centered around expanding poetry and literature. He has four spoken word albums entitled ONE, BLOODLINES, SKIN vol.1; and his most recent release NKISI is currently available on all streaming platforms.
Tshaka has toured a number of US cities and across the globe, featuring at venues such as the legendary Apollo Theater and the O2 in London England.
He continues to be inspired by the struggle of life, the uncertain certainty of the universe and what it chooses to hand you. His wife and daughter show him the way daily, as well as so many authors and poets such as Octavia Butler, Ben Okri, Rumi, Baldwin, and countless others who spin language like silk.
He currently resides in San Jose and continues to ask the world to listen different.
"Tshaka Campbell's Blood at the Root: An Nkisi is a spellbinding reminder that we are eternity’s human cargo on a sensual journey of intricate relationships circulating in rivers of blood."
—Tureeda Mikell, Poet, writer, cultural activist and author of Synchronicity: The Oracle of Sun Medicine (Black Lawrence Press, 2020) and The Body: Oracle of Memory (Black Lawrence Press, 2024)
“Blood at the Root: An Nkisi is simultaneously a lyrical exploration that grips the soul and intellect and is also a poignant journey through parenthood, love, identity, and heritage. An intimate offering, Campbell explores the profound responsibility and joy of raising a daughter, weaving together reflections on roots and resilience through ancestral wisdom, unflinching love. Much like the titular phrase suggests, this work digs deep, unearthing truths that are raw, haunting, and profoundly beautiful.”
—Javon Johnson, author of Ain’t Never Not Been Black (Button Poetry, 2020) and Killing Poetry: Blackness and the Making of Slam and Spoken Word Communities (Rutgers University Press, 2017)
“Tshaka Campbell’s Blood at the Root: An Nkisi is an aria of unconditional love from a father to his daughter. These poem offerings are simultaneously creation myth, praise song, and protection prayer. If you know Tshaka’s work, trust that this book will both break and mend you. If you don't know it yet, you are about to be blessed in discovering.”
—Arlene Biala, author of her beckoning hands, American Book Award winner and Santa Clara County Poet Laureate, 2016-2017
“Tshaka Cambell is one of the most powerful poetic voices of our generation. His work has been a gift in my life. For over twenty years I’ve watched him captivate audiences with his rhythmic wisdom and unforgettable performance style. Blood at the Root: An Nkisi deepens the conversation. It is a compelling compilation of poetry from a master of his craft.”
—IN-Q, Emmy-nominated poet, multi-platinum songwriter, world renowned keynote speaker, and the best-selling author of Inquire Within (HarperOne, 2020)
“I love Tshaka Campbell’s language, it sings from the page. It’s intimate, it’s raw and I can clearly hear the ancestors speaking through him to us. But most of all, I hear a lyrical father we all need for our daughters.”
—Babs Gons, Poet Laureate of the Netherlands (2023-2025)
“Tshaka Campbell, equal parts herald, homie, and babalawo, is once more writing at the top of his game. Blood at the Root: An Nkisi is an opus work that belongs on the bookshelf between your Bible, Things Fall Apart, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X; or stored in the kitchen next to the Lawry’s, the ginger, and the echinacea. At a moment when so much is at stake, these glass bottle poems are both inspirational and necessary for our wellbeing, so keep them close by.”
—Tama L. Brisbane, Poet Laureate Emeritus of Stockton, California and Executive Director of With Our Word /WOW Inc.
““What piece of myself do I leave for her and what should she never know? / Is DNA enough?” Tshaka Campbell’s Blood at the Root: An Nkisi is a passionately masterful dive into fatherhood and family. These are observant stories, fables, “verses as lanterns in the darkness” centered on grandparents, masculinity, relationships, self-respect, and even on surviving 9-11—all beautifully rendered with the most delicate truth and clarity offered to the author’s daughter. Tshaka has a long, solid resume of essential work and this collection is proof of his power, all rooted in community and family.”
—James Cagney, Cave Canem fellow, award-winning author of Black Steel Magnolias in the Hour of Chaos Theory (Black Lawrence Press, 2023) and Martian: The Saint of Loneliness (Nomadic Press, 2022)
“Tshaka Campbell is a powerhouse whose poetics effortlessly bends conventional expression to arrest emotion and attention. In this collection, Campbell invites readers into an intimate journey where the desire to be worthy of the title “father” becomes permission for a process of self-discovery through a tender unpacking of bloodlines and histories. Here, breathing life into ancestral and lived silences becomes a means of self-revival which simultaneously says to the inheritor of his bloodline, that she is power, walks in it, comes from it and should never forget who she is. ”
—Tolu Agbelusi, author of Locating Strongwoman (Jacaranda Press, 2020)
"By uniting vivid impressions with reflections on purpose, pivotal moments, and the importance of human bonds, Campbell ultimately awakens readers to the transformative power that emerges whenever people truly connect.”
—Anthony “Ant Black” Blacksher, poet, professor, and publisher of the San Diego Poetry Annual
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Buy Blood at the Root: An Nkisi
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Schedule:
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Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance + historical framing – 15 minutes
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Close reading in small groups (Hughes, McKay, Cullen) – 30 minutes
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Whole-group discussion + thematic analysis – 30 minutes
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Creative response writing (inspired poem or blackout/found poem) – 30 minutes
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Reflection + contemporary connections – 15 minutes
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Total time: 120 minutes (2 hrs)
Description:
Tshaka M. Campbell guides students through key protest poems from the Harlem Renaissance, including works by Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen. Participants explore themes of resistance, dignity, deferred dreams, and cultural pride through close reading and discussion. The workshop then transitions into a creative response activity, where students write their own poem of resistance—either inspired by the style of the originals or through blackout/found poetry techniques. The session bridges past and present, encouraging students to connect historical protest poetry to contemporary struggles and personal voice.
Purpose:
“Voices of Resistance” teaches students how poetry functions as both art and activism, helping them understand historical context while developing their own critical and creative voice.
CATEGORIES: LITERATURE, HISTORY, SOCIAL JUSTICE, CRITICAL THINKING, AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES, CREATIVE WRITING
Schedule:
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Introduction: What is identity in poetry? – 10 minutes
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Reading and discussion (Williams, Monet, Walker + selected poems) – 20 minutes
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Craft conversation: What makes a poem compelling? – 15 minutes
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Writing prompts (“Who do you write for/to/with?”) – 30 minutes
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Sharing + reflection – 20 minutes
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Optional extension: artwork-to-poem refinement exercise – 15–25 minutes
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Total time: 90 – 120 minutes (2 hrs)
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Description:
In this workshop, Tshaka M. Campbell explores how identity moves from lived experience onto the page. Through discussion of contemporary and canonical voices—including Saul Williams, Aja Monet, and Alice Walker—students examine how poets translate race, culture, gender, joy, grief, and self-definition into powerful writing. Participants are guided through prompts that challenge them to consider audience, intention, and voice. The workshop creates space for honest reflection while strengthening craft and clarity.
Purpose:
“Poetry, Identity & Voice” helps students write themselves into their work with intention—developing confidence, perspective, and ownership over their narrative.
CATEGORIES: IDENTITY, PERSONAL NARRATIVE, LITERATURE, WRITING, PERFORMANCE
When Giants Fall
Poetry Workshop
Schedule:
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Poems that inspired “When Giants Fall” (lineage, fatherhood, identity) – 10 minutes
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Live performance of “When Giants Fall” + craft breakdown – 10 minutes
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Student writing time (Lineage Poem prompt) – 30 minutes
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Student reading time – 20 minutes
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Revision lab: tightening one stanza (optional) – 20–40 minutes
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Total time: 70 – 120 minutes (2 hrs) ​
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Description:
Tshaka M. Campbell presents selected poems centered on fatherhood, legacy, and identity, followed by a live performance of “When Giants Fall.” After discussing craft elements such as repetition, emotional restraint, and the “turn,” students are guided to write their own lineage poem. Participants explore who shaped them, what they inherited, and what they are choosing to carry forward. Writers can focus on a parent, guardian, mentor, community elder, or even a younger version of themselves.
Purpose:
“When Giants Fall” teaches students how to name their inheritance and transform memory into strength through deliberate craft.
CATEGORIES: FAMILY, IDENTITY, HEALING, PERFORMANCE, WRITING
Rhythm Before Borders
Poetry Workshop
Schedule:
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Poems that explore rhythm as archive (sound, ancestry, repetition) – 10 minutes
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Live performance + breakdown of cadence and breath – 10 minutes
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Call-and-response warmup – 5 minutes
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Student writing time (“A Sound That Raised Me” prompt) – 25 minutes Student reading time (with optional rhythm layering) – 20 minutes
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Performance techniques lab (optional) – 20–40 minutes
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Total time: 70 – 120 minutes (2 hrs)
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Description:
Tshaka performs excerpts of poems rooted in rhythm, repetition, and ancestral memory. Students learn how breath, line breaks, and repetition shape emotional impact. Participants write a poem beginning with a sound, rhythm, or piece of music that raised them and expand it into a story of identity and resilience. Writers leave with both a page poem and tools to deliver it with presence and confidence.
Purpose:
“Rhythm Before Borders” teaches students to trust their voice, understand rhythm as structure, and write poems that carry both pulse and power.
CATEGORIES: CULTURE, PERFORMANCE, HISTORY, CREATIVE WRITING
Black Love in the Mirror
Poetry Workshop
Schedule:
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Opening grounding + reflection on Black love – 5 minutes
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Poems that center joy, self-love, and everyday beauty – 10 minutes
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Live performance + discussion – 10 minutes
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Student writing time (“In the Mirror” prompt or Blackout poem option) – 30 minutes
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Student reading time – 20 minutes
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Optional extension prompts (Ekphrastic or remix exercise) – 20–40 minutes
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Total time: 70 – 120 minutes (2 hrs)
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Description:
Tshaka presents poems that celebrate Black love, love of self, love of ancestry, love of joy. After performance and discussion, students write a short poem beginning with an everyday moment and connecting it to something beautiful in the natural world. Participants may use a guided template, create a blackout poem from an existing text, or write in response to artwork. No prior poetry experience is required.
Purpose:
“Black Love in the Mirror” helps students see themselves with care and transform reflection into affirmation through poetry.
CATEGORIES: SELF-LOVE, COMMUNITY, LITERATURE, WRITING
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"Black Love in the Mirror" has been presented at:
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Foothill College – Workshop / campus programming
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Museum of the African Diaspora (MOAD) – Literary program / performance + discussion
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Poetry Center San Jose – Workshop + curated programming
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SV Creates – Arts programming partnership
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Nottingham literary programming (UK appearance / performance context)
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San Francisco State University
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City College of New York
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Hofstra University
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University of Nottingham
BOOKING
To inquire about booking Tshaka Campbell for a paid reading or workshop: