Many minority teens are frustrated with the way they feel they are treated by police and law enforcement in the United States and have something to say about it. It seems that every week there is a new viral video involving police brutality and the mistreatment of minority youth. The Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival gives youth the platform to make their voices heard.
Featured as a hit HBO series, Brave New Voices (BNV) shines a spotlight on creative and impassioned teens delivering electrifying spoken word performances. Since it’s inception in 1997, the annual event celebrates teen poets, spoken word artists and poetry organizations. The festival is the only event of its kind in the United States where youth from across not only the United States but Canada, Africa, the Polynesian Islands, and Europe can participate, making it the largest and most diverse spoken word event in the world.
This year’s Brave New Voices Festival was made possible with support from a national network of nonprofits including the Ford Foundation, The Surdna Foundation, The Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts and Go Pro.
Powered by Youth Speaks, the four-day festival consisting of 70 events comes to Atlanta July 15-18. For more information on the 18th Annual Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival, visit www.youthspeaks.org/bravenewvoices, follow @bravenewvoices on Twitter or like “Youth Speaks Brave New Voices” on Facebook.
