In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the American Cultural Center hosted the first edition of the Open Mic Night on January 21, 2015. Five competitors performed in each of four categories: song, dance, slam/poetry and speech. Over 200 people attended the event including students, artists, and embassy staff.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Carolyn Turpin, the acting Director of Public Affairs said, “Dr. King was an extraordinary young talent of his time. As we remember him at this time, I firmly believe that Benin is also full of young talents as charismatic and extraordinary as Martin Luther King.”
The slammer Précieuse Semanou who was awarded best performance artist in all categories won, in addition to a trophy, a tablet Kindle Fire H7 containing 1,350 digital books in English and French.
