Varion Howard is not your ordinary educator, entertainer, or entrepreneur.
In fact, this Renaissance-man has multiple personas that can be likened to that of Bruce Wayne and Batman, Clark Kent and Superman, or Peter Parker and Spiderman.
During the day, Howard serves as the mild-mannered counselor at a middle school, while at night and on the weekends, he transforms into his on-stage, alter-ego—Se7en the Poet.
Howard is a multi-talented individual, who allows his robust skillset of education, counseling, spoken word, acting, motivational speaking, and community service, to uplift the community.
Se7en the Poet was a stage name given to Howard while he was at Prairie View A&M University attending college. Howard received both his college degrees from Prairie View—a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work in 1997, and a master’s degree in Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services in 2006.
Howard has experienced remarkable success in all aspects of his crafts.
n 2000, Howard created Poetry Lounge Houston, where he hosts and performs. The platform allows the mixture of Houston’s burgeoning spoken word artists to perform on the same stage as some of the Greater Houston area’s best and brightest spoken word artists. It is touted as the city of Houston’s longest-running open-mic poetry spot and platform.
In 2002, Howard launched Se7en Entertainment and he currently serves as the President and CEO.
Se7en the Poet (Howard) has regularly performed at concerts, churches, community events, galas, and theaters across the country and has been a part of the “I Got People Inside My Head” comedy tour with Nephew Tommy of the “Steve Harvey Morning Show,” and was featured on season 3 of the NAACP Image Award nominated Lexus Verses and Flow show on TVOne. He is also the co-author of the self-help book for women, “More Than a Rib: A Woman’s Inspiration for Perspective-Healing-Empowerment,” with Rickie Chaffold.
Howard is a product of Robinson Edition—a small subdivision located between Old Chocolate Bayou and Jutland Street, with Bellfort Street to the north and Reed Road to the south, and with the historic Houston areas of Sunnyside to the left and South Park to the right. He was raised in a home that was immersed in the arts and entertainment, as his mother, Prenise “Peaches” Howard-Reed, was a former background vocalist for the late, iconic R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass.
After attending Crispus Attucks Middle School, Howard went on to graduate from Evan E. Worthing Sr. High School in Sunnyside, where he served as a drum major and a member of the Worthing Esquires. He was inspired by old school rap artists like LL Cool J and Ice Cube and tried to emulate them and seek similar success in the world of hip-hop.
Howard tells the Forward Times that his motivation to do poetry was initially inspired by his grandmother.
“Initially, it was a thing my grandmother and I shared that when there was a holiday, or something or someone to be celebrated, I would get to pick the greeting cards,” said Howard. “So, when it was time to make greeting cards at school, most kids drew pictures, but I preferred to illustrate the outside and drop a rhyme to behold when the card unfolds.”
Howard provided the Forward Times with a more vivid memory of when he truly realized he had a gift for poetry and entertainment.
“I remember standing next to a classmate, Gino Herbert, in the Thornton M. Fairchild library searching through books to find a poem that we liked enough to memorize and present to the class,” Howard recollects. “What we didn’t know at the time is that we were about to discover a gift that would send us on a never-ending journey, producing some of the best moments of our lives. The poem I chose was titled, DON’T EVER CROSS A CROCODILE by Kaye Starbird, and Gino chose DRESSED UP by Langston Hughes. We are both published poets now.”
Going further, Howard reflected on what sparked his interest in education.
“In recent examination, I learned that I was first intrigued to get into the education field, after learning how agreeable it made my parents,” said Howard. “Good grades were celebrated and rewarded, so to me, I figured it was transactional. I enjoyed moments where I’d be able to converse with more enlightened people at a very early age. I come from an era where being smart was cool. As I grew, I found that intelligence would sustain me when the fashion trends changed. It was uncool to have money and be illiterate and for some reason, the smart guys always got the girl in the end.”
When it comes to juggling his responsibilities as an educator, entertainer, and entrepreneur, Howard states that his biggest challenge in the education space has been learning how to juggle and how to cater to the grandiose titles while knowing their pedigree is subpar.
“Staying calm while injustice and prejudice plague our schools is a challenge because my best shot to create change is from the inside,” Howard tells the Forward Times. “Allowing leadership to speak to me as if they have all the answers when they are so far removed from the children and community they serve. Conquering burnout continuously and lastly learning how to truly leave everything on the table. My saying to students this year is ‘THE ONLY THING I WONT GIVE YOU IS AN EXCUSE.’”
Howard continues to use his gift of spoken word to push the edge of social consciousness, and champion the call of manhood. His upbringing, educational background and passion for his community give way for him to speak about life as it evolves. He has created many memorable spoken word pieces, such as “The JESUS Piece,” “Old School Momma,” “iTeach,” “Toy Story,” and many more. In 2005, he was initiated as a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., where his passion for scholarship and service to the community have continued to empower the youth and influences the various industries he is a part of.
To find out more about Varion “Se7en the Poet” Howard, please visit: https://se7enthepoet.com/.
Jeffrey L. Boney, Associate Editor Forward Times