My Nonprofit Reviews

I was privileged to attend the 2019 8th Annual Classic Slam (“Manifest”) in Los Angeles, where youth from over 50 LA Unified Schools performed & competed in classic and response poetry. Many of these students are recipients of “Lit Kit” in school curriculum. Amidst the electric creativity over 3 days, there were interactive workshops & panels on mental health. As an observer & writer, I was heavily impacted by the fierce power of self expression that emanated from each & every youth that filled the venue. Snapping, shouting, spewing outbursts of support they came together not to just necessarily win the competition, but to breathe fire into distinguishing themselves from others, wearing their personal beliefs, needs, fears on their sleeve, validating themselves & their concepts. The energy that jettisoned this event was palpable in a way that lifted & reminded me that conversations can change the world. We all have a voice yet the youth of this world have more to say. This is what Get Lit promotes, nurtures and embodies. There is no silence in their manifest, only encouragement for our youth to stand tall & speak up, more than ever, in a time & age when it desperately needs to be heard.