This is LaJenne’ of Digital Youth Network’s All Access covering Brave New Voices’ Slam Poetry Festival. I swear I saw truth tonight. I saw it and it felt exactly how the poet and I felt and saw exactly as the poet and I saw. Truth and honesty was ringing in the Chicago Theatre today and I think that everyone felt it. July 18, 2009 marked the last day of Brave New Voices Slam Poetry Festival and it is bittersweet. Over the course of a week, ONE week, I feel alive, understood, inspired, renewed, loved, ecstatic, sad, and so much more that cannot possibly have a word tacked to it so as to even try to describe it. The poems that these poets place out there for all to hear are astounding. I wish that I could have the written verse so as to post it, but even then justice would not be done because I don’t feel as though the passion could be envisioned. I appreciate so much what Brave New Voices has brought to the forefront. This is the type of program that should be widely available to all.

Just to show the effect that this festival had I’ll share a small story. My brother is very smart but like many smart kids he has adopted the horrible tendencies so widely broadcasted by his favorite rappers. And television He has picked up bad tendencies like using the word “gay” in a negative connotation, being very close-minded and insensitive about gay men, and likes to remain ignorant at times because it seems to take to much effort from him to try to learn and understand. My brother randomly decided to go to the finale with me and came out changed. As soon as he left he bombarded me with questions especially about a poem named Switch performed by the New York team and a poem about Censorship performed by Hawai’i. My brother asked, “Do people really dislike gay people that much that they would kill them like that?” “Why would the government censor what people want to say, don’t we have free speech?” After a very enlightening long conversation on the train about how homophobia brews and telling him that the government has been doing it for years and so forth I see that shift in his brain. I see that change in his mindset just manifesting (he finally gets why I hate the term no homo). THIS IS POETRY. THIS IS WHAT IT DOES!!! AND IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL. We get a festival like this that brings 500 poets together, 50 teams, and a great city only tremendous things can happen.

For me this week has been everything in one. I haven’t even minded not having any sleep as a result of documenting, blogging, and capturing moments. I will truly miss it. I want to thank the teams for traveling as they did and also for being so down to earth. Many times you get talented people that are just asses because they feel that they are entitled to be. The youth are so talented, gifted, and humble. I wish I could have managed to get more than just a “Your awesome”  or  “Your piece was amazing” out of my mouth but of course you think of all the great things after the fact. Thank you for everything I truly wish that there was something that I could do to repay you all for these gifts that you have given and I hope that for now this is enough, thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart.

LaJenne’

This is LaJenne’ of Digital Youth Network’s All Access covering Brave New Voices’ Slam Poetry Festival. Day four of Brave New Voices was unlike any other for me.  The morning brought all of the semifinalists together once again to find out who would participate in the Grand Slam Finale on July 18^th, 2009, the last and final day of the festival. These teenagers get up and speak unlike anything I have ever heard. I swear the microphones were seared by the end of the sessions with all they were saying. In the end Hawai’i, Leed, the Bay and Jacksonville all made the grand slam finale.

I deemed this day extremely emotional for me for no matter what event I went to something just seemed to hit me like ‘BAM’ from out of no where. This is something that I love about poetry, the fact that it forces you to face your demons or to “To run towards fear” as Haki Madhubuti tells all to do. Just sitting in the audience watching them you unknowingly mirror their every movement without thought, as if you practiced the routine along side them, you know the words they speak when they have never left your lips before, you cry when the poet cries as if you share tear ducts, this is what I love about poetry. The simple fact that words have the power to influence and shape in this manner is quite intense.

There were so many poems that reached out and touched me but it was truly one that had me in a daze. It left me confused, riddled with questions that could only be answered by myself, scared, and strangely understood. For the first time during this festival I was truly moved to tears. I was so busy in my state of shock that I couldn’t even catch them before they fell.  I was finally able to talk to the poet and let her know and of course humble she was and thanked me for letting her know in turn. However this is just my story there were countless others that saw the same result for others. Simply beautiful.

The end of the night saw to it that the adults got their chance to shine as well. Poets Ashley Olson, Beau, Queen Godis, Saul Williams, Roger, BX and Iyeoka Okoawo all came on and pretty much murdered the microphone. We even had to retire a microphone for the evening, it was too hot. One thing that I thought would be pretty important to share is something Beau brought up, the fear to fall or mess up. So to show us, the youth, that stumbling is perfectly fine he freestyled the whole poem on the spot. Yes, he messed up but he kept pushing and made it out alive. He told poets to fall on your face intentionally so as to know how it feels to get up and rise again. True words and a true work that received much respect. July 18^th, 2009 marks the end of Brave New Voices’ stay in Chicago and I am sure that it will be beautiful and bittersweet. I am excited about what the finale will bring but I am also saddened to think of it leaving.

Video from the 12th annual Brave New Voices Poetry Slam Festival!

Video from the 12th annual Brave New Voices Poetry Slam Festival!

Video from the 12th annual Brave New Voices Poetry Slam Festival!

Video from the 12th annual Brave New Voices Poetry Slam Festival!