Recently, dynamic youth centered nonprofit, Parle Endeavors, Inc., held their first annual Teen Poetry Slam Series. The series spanned 7 events, between 4 boroughs and a zoom, culminated with the Slam finals at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, in Manhattan. Hosted by former teen slam poet, Def Poet and educator, Erica Buddington, the Parle Endeavors Teen Poetry Slam Series featured 10 teen finalists vying for a $1,000 grand prize award, with 5 other cash prizes.
The Teen Slam Series started with preliminary rounds in the Bronx, Harlem, Queens and Brooklyn, with an additional opportunity on zoom for teens from Staten Island, and any other borough who missed their opportunity, or didn’t initially advance to the semi-finals.
The semi-finals took place in Brooklyn and Harlem leading to the 10 finalists who would perform at the Nuyorican.
The preliminary and semi-final rounds were also an opportunity to introduce the teens plus their friends and family to local culturally relevant venues that they might not be familiar with. Among them were the Bronx Children’s Museum, Weeksville Heritage Center (Brooklyn), The Harvest Room (Queens), Bedstuy Restoration Plaza, and Thompson Studios 125th (Harlem).
The teen finalists hailed from throughout the city, representing different perspectives, on different journeys, but passionate about writing and telling their story through spoken word.
Stephanie Pacheco, 19, Bronx
Sobeana Woodley, 17, Brooklyn
Evellyn Paredes, 15, Queens
Mariam Dembélé, 17, Bronx
Ania Rush, 17, Brooklyn
Aliyah Artis, 16, Brooklyn
Lena X, 19, Brooklyn
London Little, 13, Brooklyn
Yaiden Cabrera, 16, Bronx
Fatima Saidysall, 17, Bronx
*ages at the time of the finals.
Speaking on the series Ronnette A. Cox, Chairwoman of Parle Endeavors Inc., expressed her enthusiasm , “We are immensely proud to witness the remarkable talent and passion displayed by the young poets of our city. Our inaugural programs aim to celebrate youth artistry and provide resources for them to pursue their dreams.
The top five winners of the Parle Endeavors Teen Poetry Slam Series (l to r): Ania Rush, Mariam Dembélé, Evellyn Paredes, Sobeana Woodley, and Stephanie Pacheco.
The spoken word performance series is expected to be an annual event. In the meantime, Parle Endeavors is hosting spoken word writing and performance workshops in person and on zoom. More info online HERE.
Image Credit: Ronnette A. Cox
