The Life We Chose | An Interview with Queena Bergen

An Interview with Queena Bergen

Inaugural fellow Queena Bergen strives to use her inspirational spoken word poems to spread positivity and promote change in her community through Words Beats & Life Inc.’s Towards 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship.

Queena Bergen is an aspiring muse and young poet who radiates positive energy and encouragement. Her upbringing in a tight-knit hip-hop community influences her inspirational spoken word poems, driving her to use verse to kindle the flames of young artists who may not have the confidence to follow their dreams just yet. Our vision of 2040 includes collaboration, access to resources and technology, and youth empowerment, all of which Bergen plans to make a reality through our Towards 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship.

Bergen holds her hometown Franklin Township close to her heart. Her mother immigrated from Jamaica and set down roots in the area along with the rest of her family. As a fellow in our Toward 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship, Bergen plans to collaborate with our mentors to develop a virtual reality software program. Bergen’s VR program will provide young poets, lyricists, and hip-hop artists a safe, interactive platform to share their art. This virtual experience program highlights Bergen’s passion for hip-hop and the beauty of the performance. She hopes this VR experience will allow the youth to express themselves through poetry and the spoken word, just like she has been able to. The younger generations are undeniably tech-centered; this integration of technology and poetry provides a modern take on ancient art that may better inspire rising artists.

From nursery rhymes to rap, rhythm, and harmony inspired Bergen’s pursuit of wordsmith fame. Her journey into the world of the spoken word began at summer camp when she was eight years old and felt she had no voice; inspiration struck when her counselor did a poetry performance. Bergen believes that poetry and music can so successfully connect with others because “when you say things that rhyme, when you add flow to the English language, not only does it make it exciting, it makes it entertaining, and it makes it much easier for you to grab.” 

Bergen recognizes the intrinsic connection between poetry and hip-hop and attributes the development of her spoken word voice to her life growing up in a hip-hop community. Hip-hop was how she “learned how to talk, how to speak,” the culture led Bergen to share her stories, her vision of the future, and to stand up for what she believes in. What started as stories about swing sets and recess evolved into inspirational verses about making yourself heard and pursuing your passions. Nowadays, the young poet's inspiration comes in various forms and could be anything from a documentary to an Instagram post. Bergan shares that if something can enter her “mind and spark a thought, it could likely turn itself into a piece of poetry.” 

Along with a passion for the spoken word, Bergen is interested in tech and has found creative ways to blend the two. Before pursuing poetry full-time, Bergen worked as a software developer creating digital content. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many high school seniors missed out on important life moments, like graduation. Bergen saw a creative solution and worked with her alma mater, Franklin High School, to develop a virtual reality experience which seniors could use to roam their high school halls virtually one last time. Bergen performed a poetry piece during the school’s virtual commencement ceremony and debuted her gift to the graduating class. 

In our Towards 2040 fellowship, youth will absorb the wisdom of their elders and ancestors and use it to lead. Bergen plans to listen to those who have taken her same journey and learn from their experiences. She believes there is power in knowledge and that the best way to understand where you're going is to learn from someone who has already been there. Bergen is excited to collaborate with the mentors in our Towards 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship and says that it is a transformative opportunity to connect with people “who believe in the same things that I believe in and fight for the same things that I fight for.” 

When looking towards the year 2040, the New Jersey native envisions a world where no one has to live in fear due to who they are, where everyone can coexist as we instead of I. Bergen hopes to give rise to a new generation of artists and dreamers and believes that “we each can create the lives that we want.” She encourages aspiring artists to remember that “if you can see it, then you can also put in the work and effort to make that vision a reality.”  Bergen made her vision to be a poet her reality and attributes manifesting her dreams to her mantra “the life we chose.”