For third-year law student and spoken word poet Michelle Owusu-Ansah, attending law school is a childhood dream realized.
“I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since age five,” said Owusu-Ansah. “I remember my parents asking me what I wanted to do. I turned around and said, ‘one day I will walk into the courtroom, and they will say all rise.’ I was referring to a judge, but as a child, to me, that was a lawyer.”
Becoming a lawyer has always been Owusu-Ansah’s north star, but it’s only one part of her story. Her passion for writing has also been a constant since childhood.
From the page to the stage
What began as prose poured into journals has evolved into the powerful spoken word poetry that she performs today under the moniker Mitty Poems. Her narrative, free-verse poems are inspired by personal stories, historical events, social issues and the muses that compel her to share their stories.
“Anything can inspire me. Maybe I watch something, or I read a book and start reflecting on it days later. Then this character and this story emerges,” said Owusu-Ansah. “It’s my experiences, the things I see and my exposure to the law and the challenges people are facing that inspires this little voice that says, ‘I think there’s a story here.’”
After writing privately for most of her life, it’s only recently she has taken to the stage to share her work with an audience. With the launch of her spoken word poetry collective Spoken Culture in 2024, she’s now helping other artists find community and support for their craft.
“The whole goal is to create a platform for spoken word artists to share their poetry and to create an interest in poetry itself. I wanted to create a platform where people would be able to share their poems and actually get paid for it,” said Owusu-Ansah.
“Unfortunately, people in the arts don’t often get paid for their work unless they’re really recognized. I wanted to create a platform where we’re getting paid for our art and where our art is being appreciated.”
Investing in community
Michelle Owusu-Ansah
It’s been a successful year for Spoken Culture that kicked off with a Black History Month showcase at Museum London. Since then, Owusu-Ansah has also collaborated with several other local artists and community organizations including Antler River Poetry, singer-songwriters Mischa Bower and Midswim, Pillar Nonprofit Network, and the London Black History Coordinating Committee.
Building a supportive and empowering community of artists in London is a natural evolution of the social impact work woven through Owusu-Ansah’s life. Born in Halton Hills, Ont. and of Ghanian heritage, Owusu-Ansah completed high school in Ghana.
Her experience there sparked an interest in grassroots organizing and volunteering for non-government organizations.
During her undergraduate degree in international relations – with a minor in law and society – at the University of British Columbia, she began volunteering for the Salvation Army and worked remotely for organizations in Ghana that encourage community development and literacy for youth. She later completed a master’s of global development studies at Queen’s University and went on to work in project management for a non-government organization.
“These experiences were very rewarding and shaped who I am as a person, my communication skills and my ambition to continue to give back to community in whatever I do,” said Owusu-Ansah.
‘I can’t let go of this dream anymore’
After working in non-government organization project management for three years, Owusu-Ansah’s mother encouraged her to begin the process of applying to law school.
“I knew I always wanted to be a lawyer, but it felt like that childhood dream that you really can’t reach,” said Owusu-Ansah. “I realized, ‘I can’t let go of this dream anymore.’ I knew if I quit along the way, I’d never forgive myself.”
When it came to finding the right community to attend law school, Owusu-Ansah was glad to find a home at Western Law.
“Before accepting my offer of admission, I heard the school has a strong community and didn’t have toxic competition,” said Owusu-Ansah.
“That really attracted me to Western because I felt like this could be a place I could actually find community and build community and not feel like I’m competing with anybody.” – Michelle Owusu-Ansah, third-year law student and spoken word poet
Throughout her studies, she has appreciated abundant opportunities for experiential learning including roles at the Western Law Business Law Clinic, the Dispute Resolution Centre, various moot competitions, and volunteering for the ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council. Exposure to these various areas of law helped her to discover an aptitude for business law. After a successful summer stint at Stikeman Elliot, she looks forward to delving deeper into the world of corporate law when she returns to the firm to complete her articles.
Looking to the future, Owusu-Ansah hopes to have more time to balance her love of poetry, volunteerism and the law.
