CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Clarksville’s Power of Words, which recently celebrated its first anniversary, creates family and community by giving people a way to express themselves and their art.

“You don’t get nursery rhymes when you come to Clarksville’s Power of Words. This is therapy. This is community. This is truth,” says founder, poet and current law student J.A.K Danger.

J.A.K stands for Justified Accomplished King. “If I drop that J I’m left with nothing but an AK, and I will spray everybody. Or at least I used to. I’m in law school now, so I will sue you,” Danger said, as the crowd erupted with laughter and applause.

Power of Words takes place monthly at the Good People Lounge.

“People want to see people perform,” Danger told Clarksville Now. “This stage has had singers, rappers, musicians. It’s a good place for those who want to try their talent or try their art. … There’s no judgment. They can see the crowd’s reactions and they know that they won’t get discouraged.”

Director of operations and co-host Komplex Simplicity has a performance on culture:

“It’s that ‘We ain’t never met but we know what a head nod in a white room means,’ type culture. That ‘Better be something smoked in them greens’ type culture. That ‘Martin Luther King had a dream, Malcolm X by any means’ type culture. Y’all, I love my culture,” she says.

Community and family

Komplex, who is a poet, artist and clothing designer, said Power of Words “fosters a sense of community and family.”

“We’ve had people who show up, and then they keep coming back because they feel that sense of community and family. People come here and they get inspired by what they see. We’ve had people who attended and after a few months decided that they also want to get on stage,” she said. “It’s really about showcasing what it’s like to be an artist so that you can bring out the artist in other people, and they can feel free to share their truth on stage.”

Co-host Sug said Danger and Komplex keep a strong structure and with good interaction. “I’ve been to a lot of open mics,” he said. “You run into places that either aren’t organized or don’t have the structure to make the show cohesive. They make it flow smoothly.

“Clarksville itself has the energy that can fuel anybody … and give you the confidence to touch the stage and tell your truth,” he said. “The one thing J.A.K. Danger left us with is, ‘The doors to the church are always open.’ Come. You have no reason to not come up here. If you can’t get on the stage you’re going to hear something that’s going to move you and help you move forward with whatever you’re going through. I guarantee it.”

For more, visit Clarksville’s Power of Words on Facebook or Instagram. Their next scheduled show is Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door, at Good People Lounge, 1018 Franklin St.