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"Hips" explores the different experiences of being a black woman in America.
In her original poem, April Wells from iLead North Hollywood confronts her mother who accuses her of becoming a stereotypical black woman.
Keithayonna Davis, an 18-year-old from College Bridge Academy, shares her experience of growing up in South Los Angeles and the harsh realities that many immigrants face in America.
In their original poem "Her Name was Kitty", iLead North Hollywood students Ryann Ersoff, Mila Cuda, and Ashley Flores tell the shocking story of Kitty Genovese's rape and take a stand on violence against women.
Ashley Biggs, a 14-year-old from Larchmont Charter School, opens up about her struggle to compete with liquor for a spot in her father’s heart.
In her original poem, 18-year-old Rebecca Lopez shares a personal story about the complex relationship between her, her mother and her absent father.
Inspired by the politics surrounding the 2016 presidential election, 14-year-old Alex Gruenenfelder addresses the topics of freedom and hypocrisy in America.
When 16-year-old Drew Anderson shared his powerful poem about coming out to his family, he discovered that many other members of the transgender community had the same experience.
Karla Gutierrez and Paola Gonzalez, an 18 and 17-year-old from Animo Inglewood Charter High School, perform an original poem that gives a voice to the struggles immigrants have and continue to face in America.
Get Lit – Words Ignite unites classic and spoken word poetry to empower youth and inspire communities. By engaging at-risk youth in literature in and after school, Get Lit allows teens to become engaged in their own futures and unearth their potential.
For the Chinatown installment of Departures Youth Voices, we partnered with the Chinatown Service Center's Youth Council, a program that has been around for decades. We were very fortunate to work with them because they are the main—and perhaps only—hub where youth from around the area hang out.