Yellow Rage
Michelle Myers and Catzie Vilayphonh are founding members of the spoken word group Yellow Rage, a dynamic duo of Philly-based Asian American female spoken word poets. Yellow Rage gained international attention when they performed on the first season of the critically-acclaimed HBO television series Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry in December 2001. They also performed in the first live Def Poetry Jam show at the 2001 HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, CO, as well as the Def Poetry Jam College Tour.
Celebrated for their high energy and engaging performances, Catzie and Michelle have gone on several national tours and performed at hundreds of colleges and other venues around the U.S. from Honolulu to Chicago to Atlanta to New York City. Yellow Rage has produced two spoken word poetry albums: Black Hair, Brown Eyes, Yellow Rage, Volume 1, and Yellow Rage, Handle With Care, Volume 2.
For over two decades, Yellow Rage has made a positive impact through their poetry. Drawing from their own unique experiences, individual political ideologies, and personal life philosophies as Asian American women, Michelle and Catzie's group and solo poems address issues which explore the intersections of race, culture, gender, community, and self.
At the heart of Yellow Rage's poetry is a desire to present a perspective that challenges ignorance and hatred and holds people of any race, gender, ethnicity, and religious belief accountable for ideas and behaviors which incite divisiveness rather than facilitate understanding. Through anger, pain, joy, celebration, sarcasm, and humor, Catzie and Michelle strive to initiate honest dialogue through their poetry and hope to move themselves and others forward to recognize the humanity of others and acknowledge the common human desire for peace, healing, happiness, and love.
Core issues examined by Yellow Rage include human trafficking, sexual slavery and modern-day slavery; anti-Asian violence; cross-cultural community building; cultural commodification; racism and sexism; intergenerational trauma; the Southeast Asian refugee experience; mixed race identity; class divisions; cultural identity and pride; and the sexual fetishization of AAPI women.