Community members and Drake students filed into the Sussman Theater with plates of fruit, cheese and baked goods, glasses of lemonade and a paper program in hand that read: “The Negro Artist | A film by Nik Heftman” last Friday.

In an evening celebrating the work of Black creators, the art forms of poetry and film were blended. Emmy award-winning journalist Nik Heftman and spoken word artist Caleb Rainey, who goes by the stage name “The Negro Artist,” showcased a documentary that shares Rainey’s story. The event was in association with Crew Scholars, Drake’s diversity program of academic excellence and leadership development, that invited the two on campus to speak.

Rainey is an author, performer and producer based in Iowa City. Heftman’s documentary captures Rainey’s experience growing up in the Midwest as a biracial Black boy and the traumas that entailed. 

To kick off the film screening, Heftman first thanked the audience for believing in his project, Drake University for allowing him to show his film on campus and his two producers in the front row. He gave some of his background and credentials and then welcomed Rainey. 

Before briefly introducing himself, Rainey shared a poem about the stereotype that Black men do not want to be good fathers. 

The documentary highlighted Rainey’s background; the origin story of his stage name and his introduction to spoken word in a pursuit to impress a girl he liked in grade school were both covered in the film. Heftman additionally featured The Negro Artist’s growth today, showing how he has sharpened his craft and the transformative potential of poetry to inspire, offer perspective and nurture connection. 

Drake senior David Duncan remarked how it was that stage name that was especially captivating in promotion of the event. 

“Seeing the flyers around school, especially with the name The Negro Artist, that’s something that really stood out to me,” Duncan said. “Especially being at [a predominantly white institution] and not having like so many things that’s going on on campus other than, like, student orgs.”

Duncan’s sentiment about the lack of Black spaces in a predominantly White state like Iowa and universities like Drake, as well as the lack of much needed civil discourse on issues of race, identity and systemic inequality was similarly reflected by points made by both Rainey and Heftman during the Q&A. 

“I think [speaking your truth is] the thing that we all need, and most of us are scared or have been taught there’s no space for us in that,” Rainey said. “Speaking my truth is what it means to be human…when I’m doing that I’m reaching for the most humane and the biggest part of humanity that I can.” 

As a journalist, Heftman strives to illuminate other’s voices and stories in his work. 

“Caleb’s in your face telling you the truth, telling you his truth and making you feel it that way,” Heftman said. “With me, I’ve always been more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. I think my truth – in the case of Caleb’s movie – a lot of Caleb’s truth is my truth too. Through him and through his poetry, I’m also speaking my truth.” 

Heftman noted that this is a theme he sees often in the work that he does.

“If I’m speaking to someone from the underrepresented community or someone who’s going through a certain issue that I want to bring light to, I’m speaking my truth through those stories that I’m doing,” Heftman said. 

Kylee Njoku, another Drake senior who attended the event for a class but intended to go despite that, said she was pleasantly surprised by the audience’s response to the heavy questions Rainey and Heftman’s work posed. 

“Not a lot of people talk about coming to these kinds of spaces and expressing their anger through politeness,” Njoku said “And that’s how people kind of respond back because there’s a lot of forums that are like this where they speak about the issues of how people are perceived, especially if they’re mixed with White and Black in particular.” 

Njoku remarked that the audience that attended the event was very receptive to the material. 

“I understand what they mean when they say Caleb is very powerful in his speaking,” Njoku said. 

“It was very interesting to see just how open and receptive everyone was, especially with some of the topics that [were] brought up,” Duncan added. “I thought it would feel more uncomfortable than it did, but it really felt very natural and very open.” 

Likewise, Heftman and Rainey said they were happy with the audience’s response to the screening of the film. 

“I loved it,” Heftman said. “I mean it’s truly a dream, you know, the way that this film is touching people…That really means a lot and I’m just really happy.” 

Rainey responded, further reflecting on the value in and need to have heavy conversations, especially on issues of race and justice.  

“I feel really good about their response,” Rainey said in an interview. “I think one of the things that is going to continue to surprise me about this film is how the film invites people in the Q&A afterwards…to be open and vulnerable and to share their own experiences and stories and takes on it, I think that’s really powerful.”

Both Rainey and Heftman hope their work reaches people in a way that helps them feel seen and inspires belief in themselves. 

In a Times-Delphic interview, Rainey considered the question of the impact of his art after the event. 

“My intent is always connection on the simplest level, and so the next step then is the question of, ‘What do I want with that connection?’” Rainey said. “Sometimes it’s to be seen, but then there are other times where that connection, the next step is: now I want you to go change the world. Please go change the problems here. Please let’s act different. Let’s love people differently after this poem.”

More work by The Negro Artist and Heftman is available on their websites and on their social media sites: @the_negroartist, @the_seventimes and @nikoheftman.