Viva La Hip Hop

Celebrate the voices of 21st century America! Youth Speaks hosted the first Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam in 1997, the first poetry slam for teenagers in the country. The annual slam (an Olympic-style poetry competition) features hundreds of young writers, emcees, and performers from throughout the Bay Area and Northern California, and attracts almost 10,000 audience members during its month-long run. The Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam is open to any youth 13-19 years old in the greater Bay Area. Here is the schedule for the 2014 slam season — join hundreds of young artists and leaders as they take the stage, speak truth to power, and perform for a chance to represent at the Grand Slam Finals.