Let Me Introduce Marqui DeVol da Po3t

Changing Our Narrative

By Dave Devereaux

On a quiet and cool night in mid-May, I had the pleasure of interviewing poet Marqui Hicks, also known as Marqui DeVol da Po3t. He has a quiet yet engaging demeanor and a command for conversation unmatched by many. His spirit was so relaxing, that I forgot that we had not physically seen each other in at least two decades. He was then as intriguing as he is today, only he has honed his craft of words and ideas to a level unmatched by most men. His intellect is refreshing, yet familiar on a literary level. 

African American male poets are rare. We more often experience noted female poets such as Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni and the incomparable Amanda Gorman, the latest young arrival to take the world stage with her linguistic talents. Yet, not since reading Langston Hughes or Claude McKay have I read a work that has spoken to me as did Maqui DeVol da Po3t’s “Social Trends”. 

It is a work that is so relevant and timely, I understand why it ultimately became a part of the curriculum in the Africana Studies Program at San Francisco State University. Upon speaking at the annual Jazz Festival Day at Bayview Hunters Point one weekend, Marqui was videotaped and ultimately recommended by graduate student Kenric Bailey to his professor, Dr. Dorothy Randall Tsuruta at SFSU. The result was the adoption of the poem into their academic program. 

As with most poets, his history with writing started at an early age. He stated that he wrote his first poem in the third grade by participating in a rhetorical contest entitled, “Negritude”. One could surmise that writing is in his DNA, as his mother was a writer who wrote poetry as well, but he did not discover that fact until later in his life. 

He had plenty of material to draw from as he states he left home at fifteen years old, moving away from his father and did not see him again until he was 21-years-old, and his father was on his deathbed. His motivator was his teacher Mr. Hodge, his 10th-grade drama instructor, who encouraged his writing and supported his enthusiasm for it. This gives a young black man, growing up in the inner city of Los Angeles, plenty of time to sit with his thoughts rather than get in trouble in the streets. He used his time to cultivate thoughts for good. His recorded ideas on paper have created visual pictures that resonate with the issues young black men have of their community as a whole. His words ring descriptive of feelings and tones that are not often expressed aloud. 

Marqui DeVol da Po3t admits, “I strive to be a role model and a voice for young black men who often don’t get such attention, and are most often forgotten.” He has plenty of time to be that role model in his current profession as a Mental Health Resource Specialist with the Department of Public Health in San Francisco where he addresses the mental health needs of these young people, making himself available to address threats of suicide, depression and anxiety. 

He has been serving in this capacity for more than 26 years and has a wealth of experience to offer, often being on call for 24 hours at a time. Professionally, he is poised to see the need for minority mental health care and draws upon those experiences to mirror his thoughts when developing poignant ideas that shed light on the crises he has to intervene in so frequently. 

Today, Marqui has more than 168 poems to be copywritten. He has a repertoire of projects that he is involved in, with hopes of publishing a book of his work, as well as a book on his mother’s work and a book that addresses his efforts toward mental health issues and wellness of black youth. 

He is the only American judge involved in the non-profit Smiling Faces, a Monrovia, Liberia-based program that teaches teens grades 9-12 to write poetry and short stories. He states, “This has been one of the proudest accomplishments to work with these kids abroad and read their stories for the past six years.” 

He has taught crisis management for JFK and Redemption Hospitals in Monrovia, Liberia as well. Marqui spent a month as the guest speaker/lecturer at the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program in Liberia, focusing on teenage suicide. He has consistently used his platform to educate others about the importance of mental health, and wellness, erasing the stigmas that exist within communities of color both nationally and internationally. 

Marqui Hicks DeVol da Po3t is a poet to follow and listen to intensely, as he continues to build his brand and provide a voice for an often misunderstood demographic of people. His passionate expressions of truth are incomparable. He is on the rise and will undoubtedly become a household name. Just pay attention and listen. 

Marqui Hicks was raised in Los Angeles and is the youngest of 15 children. He is graduate of John C. Fremont High School in Los Angeles. He earned a BA in Criminal Justice in 2009 and an MBA in 2011, both from the University of Phoenix. He currently resides in the Bay Area of Northern California.