Nicel Mohamed-Hinds (Stanford ‘19) on Poetry, Physics, and Racial Justice
Artist Spotlight
Nicel Mohamed-Hinds has established herself as a woman of many skills. A graduate in Stanford’s physics department, activist and poet since middle school, Nicel’s many interests and talents stem from her belief that “Physics and poetry are different lenses to savor the universe at a fundamental level.” Her recently written poem “today,” featured below, is rooted in her racial identity and inspired by other poets, including Tracy K Smith, Ocean Vuong, Gwendolyn Brooks and Stanford’s very own Margaret Ross. Before moving to the University of Washington to begin her Ph.D. in Physics, I had the chance to speak with Nicel about her career as a poet and “today,” which reflects her experiences in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Therese Santiago (TS): Tell me about yourself.
Nicel Mohamed-Hinds (NMH): My name is Nicel Kibbibi Mohamed-Hinds. I think you can learn a lot about me from my name. Nicel is a combination of my parents’ names Nigel and Raycel, where Raycel is a combination of her parents’ names Raymond and Marcel. Kibbibi is Swahili for “princess” and “eldest daughter”. Mohamed-Hinds joins the family names of my parents, where Mohamed heirs from my Indo-Guyanese mother and Hinds heirs from my Afro-Guyanese father. I live in the in-between and I queer the lines the white supremacist has drawn of who I should be. I am poetry.
“I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.” -Unknown
TS: How long have you been a poet?
NMH: For a long time, I thought you had to be highly acclaimed to call yourself a poet. But whether your poetry resonates with a million people or one person, you can still call yourself a poet, even if that person is you. By virtue of writing poems, you are good enough to claim that space. It’s okay to lift yourself up; it’s okay to exude the confidence of a mediocre white man. Given that, I’ve been a poet since middle school.
TS: What is it about poetry that drew you to it vs other art forms or other written forms like prose?
NMH: I first got into poetry because one of my best friends in middle school was really into poetry. I thought I did this simply out of admiration, but looking back I definitely had a crush on her. It’s funny how raging hormones can unlock doors to creative expression that may otherwise only seem open to the privileged. What made me stay with poetry is another question. Relative to other art forms, I found poetry easy to get into. I had basic writing training from school, with special thanks to my 8th grade English teacher, who opened my eyes to the power of words and even encouraged me to take pride in my full name. I also read a lot, so I felt like I had the tools to begin building experiences through writing, which seemed like an overwhelming task for me in other art forms, especially since in writing revisions could be easily made. Plus, the only physical materials you need are a writing utensil and paper or a device to type on. Another thing I love about writing is that, in the process of sense-making, you often end up writing the words you need to hear. And you know those words are sincere because they’re coming from you.
I gravitate to poetry over other forms of writing because it is one of the few avenues where I feel in control. I can savor the look, sound, and conjured experience of each word, line, and stanza, without worry about connecting everything chronologically. Poetry is a meditation on moments that can spark movements.
TS: Tell me about the poem, “today,” what it means to you, and the inspiration behind it.
NMH: I had just watched the murder of George Floyd and retreated to my bed in tears, freezing, and struggling to breathe. When I heard George Floyd say “I can’t breathe,” I remembered that Eric Garner said the same words back in 2014. And in that moment of defeat, I felt like part of me had died. I was also angry at myself because I was still breathing, and instead of mobilizing for justice, I was paralyzed in my bed. Writing that poem was writing the words I needed to hear, while meditating on the collectivist African proverb “I am because we are” and my girlfriend telling me “You deserve to be living in a better world, a kinder and just world.” Writing that poem was a reminder that it’s okay to take moments for yourself, as it allows you to sustain movements for your community and for a better world.
TS: Who do you take inspiration from?
NMH: Whenever I see a technique used in a poem that really resonates with me, I try to emulate it in order to expand my toolkit for building experiences. I’m grateful to Stanford Creative Writing lecturer Margaret Ross for helping me get into this practice. Some of my favorite poets are Tracy K Smith, Elizabeth Bishop, Gwendolyn Brooks, Yusef Komunyaka, Sylvia Plath, Pattiann Rogers, Richard Siken, Ocean Vuong, Shinji Moon, and Terisa Siagatonu.
TS: How does your art intersect with your academic focus?
NMH: During my undergraduate education, my major was Physics and my minor was Creative Writing, with a Poetry concentration. While physics excites me, its historically exclusive nature stresses me out, and after taking a class called Exploring Happiness, I recognized the importance of scheduling in not only my obligations to work, but also my obligations to a happy self. So, I decided to minor in Creative Writing as a way to schedule in something that made me happy. This year I will start a Physics Ph.D. and hope to continue scheduling in poetry as well. People have often expressed surprise when they find out that I study such a combination. But for me, the intersection is very clear. Physics and poetry are different lenses to savor the universe at a fundamental level. And because I believe everyone should have the freedom to access such lenses for learning, I devote some of my time to activism, especially in education.
TS: What is something you want your readers to know?
NMH: In any field, please listen to, amplify, and value the voices of Black women. Regardless of intent, we know when we do and don’t feel sunlight, rain, and nourishment. We know when we can and can’t breathe. In any field, everyone can grow when all Black women can grow. “If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free, since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all systems of oppression.” -The Combahee River Collective
Nicel Mohamed-Hinds (she/her) graduated from Stanford University in 2019 with a B.S. in Physics and a minor in Creative Writing. Born in Queens, NY and raised in Georgetown, Guyana, she is now based in Palo Alto but will be moving to Seattle in September to complete her Ph.D. at the University of Washington. Nicel can be contacted at nicelm@alumni.stanford.edu.
Therese Santiago (she/her) is a Stanford undergraduate double majoring in English and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. She is passionate about racial justice, community organizing, photography, and stories that move people. If you are a Stanford artist interested in being interviewed for our Artist Spotlight series or have any questions, please contact Therese at tsantiag@stanford.edu.
